Every Dog Has His Day
by Fei4
Summary: Accidents happen. However accidents with necklaces that bind certain demons, could turn out to be very...interesting. Can Kagome cope with the newly liberated Inuyasha? rating went up!
1. Chapter 1

Every Dog has His Day

Chapter 1

Mishaps Happen

The forest was slightly cool in the early summer night. The trees were brilliantly green and their huge covered branches blotted out the starry sky, creating a living ceiling to the travelers' temporary home. The men of the group were silent and immersed in whatever it was that kept them silent. The lone female was oddly quiet as well. Her silence was odd only on the basis that she had a very busy mind and often filled nights like these with talking. Instead the usually talkative time traveler had taken up a staring contest with some seemingly innocent looking patch of ground.

_Alright…two miles are between me and the well. The boys are going to take their turn at the hot spring, so that leaves me what; 15to 20 minutes to put as much distance between myself and what is going to be a very, very irate Inuyasha._

_It could be done…_

_Probably…_

_Hopefully…_

_It was Inuyasha's fault for being unreasonable in the first place, so if she needed to trick him then so be it._

Kagome didn't notice as Miroku stopped adding wood to the campfire, and looked at her curiously. "Now Lady Kagome, are you certain that you will be alright at the campsite?" Miroku asked, disturbing Kagome from her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah I'll be fine..." Kagome said vaguely. She would have been better if Inuyasha had agreed to take her to the well so she could take her all important math test. Instead he had flipped out about how often she had to go home and stop their quest for the jewel. She had tried to reason with him, really she had. But Inuyasha was as stubborn as mule and there was nothing she could do to get him to budge. She had even made an attempt to "sit" him enough that he would stay down long enough for her to make it home. That hadn't worked out too well….

_Earlier that week,_

_Kagome had sat Inuyasha so much that he was planted into in the Earth like a daisy. She took off right away. They were right in Kaede's village so she could easilyo make it to the well, if he would just stay down long enough…_

_Kagome sprinted through the village dodging in between villagers and carts till she reached the woods. Kagome was practically giddy as she saw the well ahead of her. _

_Piece of cake._

_Inuyasha would give up once she was on the other side. She didn't know what it was, but he was always on good behavior when her family was around. _

_Kagome marched up to the well feeling secure in her victory, when it happened. Her hand just made contact with the woods of the well when she felt a violent tug from behind. She pitched foreword and had to slam her other hand on the well to brace herself. Whipping her head around she was met with the fierce glare of Inuyasha. _

"_Ohhh let go Inuyasha!"She practically whined_

"_No way bitch!" He tugged again, and this time Kagome latched on to the lip of the well with all her might. _

"_Stop it" She grit out, while straining to keep her hold._

"_You sat me for __**no**__ reason!"Well that was how he chose to see it anyway. He pulled again, this time there was a foreboding tearing sound coming from her skirt._

"_Oh you're ripping it!" Her hands began to slip. _

"_Oi Stop acting crazy, I'm not letting you go home right now, so get over it!" He gave another tug, and only this time the skirt really did rip, and Inuyasha's fingers must have snagged her sensible white cotton underwear when he grabbed the waste of her skirt, because now her ripped skirt and her now stretched underwear were pulled back revealing the top of her bum. Kagome cheeks grew red with embarrassment…both sets._

_Kagome was strangely reminded of that a picture of the little girl whose bathing suit bottom was tugged down by a little by a puppy on the beach, on that sunscreen bottle. She always thought that was kind of cute._

_This however…not cute. And this puppy was going to get smacked with more than a news paper if he didn't stop what he was doing. _

"_Inuyasha sit!!!" Too bad it was in that instant that her hands slipped, and when the spell took hold, Inuyasha maintained his hold. Inuyasha and Kagome went crashing to the ground in a heap, both face down on their stomachs. Inuyasha was pinned by the spell, with his face down between her calves. _

_Just great. _

_Kagome blinked in surprise. She hadn't seen that coming. Slamming a hand onto the ground she began to push up. She was only up on her elbows when she felt a calloused hand latch onto her leg. She turned to stick him with a look that could have frightened a lesser man. Inuyasha however grunted his reply and tugged her back again. Was that all that man knew how to do? The word sit was on the tip of her tongue, but she was stopped short as Inuyasha flipped her over onto her back and lurched over her on all fours. _

"_Think about it." He warned cockily, having correctly guessed her intentions. "I go down, you're staying with me." Kagome practically growled an impressive sound for a human. She reached up and wrapped her fists tightly into his red jacket. "You are such an ass."She yelled straight into his face, not caring that her voice was loud, and his ears flattened in response._

_Inuyasha look pissed and he leaned in close to yell right back, his nose practically touching hers when their attention was suddenly diverted.._

"_What is Inuyasha doing to Kagome?" _

_The two in question felt the steam run out of their confrontation as they both cocked their heads to see Shippou, Sango, Miroku and even Kirara standing at the edge of the clearing surrounding the well, looking on in shock at what they saw. _

_From their perspective they had come into the clearing, following the noise. What they found was Inuyasha atop Kagome in a suggestive way, her skirt torn and barely about her hips, with her underclothes showing, while she was desperately gripping Inuyasha, appearing to be pulling him down further onto her. Oh my._

_Sango covered Shippous eyes, while she failed to close to mouth which had fallen open. _

"_Well I'm impressed Inuyasha." Miroku commended his comrade. _

_Sango slowly reached over and covered his eyes with her free hand. "We'll be leaving you two." She stumbled embarrassed, directing everyone back into the rooms, face as red as a tomato._

It had taken a lot of explaining to convince them of what really happened. The only one who seemed satisfied with the answer was Shippou and that's only because he didn't think there was any other plausible explanation for it all. Which was a blessing…

Miroku had been particularly lecherous after the incident too. How annoying, if he wasn't bad enough before. He certainly was now. Sango had taken off to help a village with Kirara because her hand was starting to bruise from how many times she had to hit him. Kagome let her eyes scan across the camp to Miroku, how one guy could be so wise sometimes and such a pervert the next she had no idea. Her eyes returned to the distant spot she had been vacantly staring at.

The monk focused his eyes on Kagome's introverted form. It seemed as though she was miles away. He knew full well that she was planning something again, but he certainly wasn't going to say anything. Not when the last attempt had been so amusing.

"Are you certain?" He asked making absolutely sure she wouldn't want to join them at the hot spring. "With Sango away delivering herbs to that village with Shippo and Kirara, I would hate to leave you all alone here. Now I'm sure Inuyasha would not mind if you _joined _us to bathe." His suggestive tone was not lost on her.

Kagome's eyebrow began to twitch slightly and she brought her fingers in tight to clench her green skirt (The _spare_ skirt that is); through her peripheral vision she was able to see Inuyasha shifting slightly and glaring daggers at the monk. She lowered her head and tried to contain her impulse to slap the perverted monk.

"Eh Miroku stop being such a fucking lech!" Inuaysha's rough voice, coming from across the campsite startled Kagome and her spine straightened visibly. Inuyasha may have been addressing Miroku but his golden eyes were fixed on Kagome.

Kagome couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

"Oh Inuyasha what an unkind assumption, I was only looking out for her well-being." Miroku ended their small staring contest without realizing anything had been transpiring.

Inuyasha blinked a moment, and dragged one last suspicious glance over Kagome before responding."Well cut it out monk!" Inuyasha called in his usual annoyed way. He stood gracefully, letting his eyes wander to Kagome once more. The girl was getting stranger it seemed, but there was an inkling in the back of his head. They were a ways away from the well, and it would be stupid of her to try to make it there alone at night…but then again this was Kagome. She dove into dangerous situations on a continual basis…she really needed to cut the shit with that.

"Kagome try not to get kidnapped while we're gone, we know you're good at it." He called out over his shoulder.

Kagome remained silent, despite the urge to call out a _sit_, but that would not help her ultimate goal of getting home for her first period exam.

Miroku sighed without any real frustration behind it. "We will return shortly Kagome…", then with barely a glance back towards her, he stated in a suspiciously serious voice, "But the offer still stands."

Her glowering at him must have been all the answer he needed as he disappeared into the shadows of the already dark forest.

_This is it._

_One one thousand…two one thousand, three one thousand…just wait until they are far enough…_

Adrenalin flooded her system, and she felt the muscles in her thighs tighten and bunch as she prepared herself to spring.

_Now!_

She sprang up, stumbling like an inexperienced racehorse out of the gate, but she regained her stride and accelerated.

_2 miles Kagome…just breathe and you can do this. In through your nose out through the mouth and don't stop!_

She managed fairly well, her slim legs pumping hard with lean muscle accumulated from her travels.

Her adrenalin swam through her system, letting her jump through the ankle deep marshes and pass through the scratching branches, barely slowing her stride.

She was going to get there. She was doing so well.

She managed to keep this up for another 10 minutes before a sharp pain caused the air to leave her lungs.

_Side stitch…o ow ow!!_

She couldn't breathe past the pain well enough to keep up her previous pace, but she refused to slow to a walk.

If she just kept a decent pace she would get there soon enough.

And then it came, nothing more then an echo from far behind her.

"That bitch!"

Kagome knew that voice. She just about ran head first into a tree as her eyes were fixed on the black forest behind her. Stumbling past the sapling that was almost her undoing she tried to suppress the butterflies that apparently were trying to escape the ramen filled confines of her stomach.

_Crap Crap Crap, screw the pain Kagome, run!_

A fresh shot of adrenalin launched into her system and she was off again. She wasn't going to miss that test dammit! Somewhere along this frantic journey she began to consider some odd, oxygen deprived, pain induced thoughts.

_Now if girl x takes off from point A traveling at so so miles an hour, and boy y takes off from point A ten minutes later traveling at a lot faster miles an hour at what point does boy y catch girl x?_

"Bitch what the helll!"

_Ask and you shall receive…_A dry voice in Kagome's head answered.

Bam!

Red…When had the whole world gone red?

_Uh oh._

This red world had hands, hands that moved to hold her steady as she crashed head long into it.

"And just where do you think you were going?"

_Damn arrogant jerk!_

"I'm going home Inuyasha, I have a test to take and you can't stop me."

She moved back away from his hands, and he made no move to stop her. He instead folded his arms across his chest and raised a black eye brow.

"Oh really, so that's what you think?" His body language seemed to suggest that he did not believe that that was what was going to actually happen.

"Yes, this test is really important to my future!" Kagome had taken to a childish way of showing frustration, and stamped her foot.

"Oi, Bitch that was what you said last week! We can't waste anymore time not finding the jewel shards." He made no move to carry her back to the campsite, but his fierce persistent stance in front of her suggested that he could and would, if she made a break for it. Too bad that's exactly what she planned to do.

"Fine…"She shouted.

She stood as tall as she could, looking up his much taller frame, and watched with mild satisfaction as his face morphed into an expression of disbelief.

"Wha……Well it's about damn time…" He paused halfway through his sentence, and a natural sense of self preservation dawned on him."Wait, what are you playing…" And that was all he managed to get out before he caught sight of the mischievous little smirk that told him all he needed to know.

"SIT!"

She actually ran across his back, leaving dirt tread marks from her shoes. _He's kinda a speed bump._A strange little giggle came up from her throat before she could swallow her joy at her brief victory and continue on with her task. She was at the well finally. She barely shortened her strides as she came up on it.

Not wanting to dive in head first, she made a move to sort of hop up onto it, sitting just on the lip. The force of it caused her to land hard on her seat bones, then it felt like the sky fell down on her. There was a huge rush of air, and the ground bounced, and suddenly she was aware of an almost painful pressure on her wrist.

_Shit…I mean crap…no no…now is a good time to swear shit shit shit. Why did she keep making it to the well but no further? That's just not fair. It's like running out to the ice cream truck just before the ice-cream guy drives away, and then you find out he's out of fudgesicles._

"Kagome, that was really stupid!" Inuyasha growled as he started to pull her off the lip of the well. "I thought you had learned after last time. You just can't win with me. Accept it." He said with far too much confidence.

He really shouldn't have been so cocky, because had he worded it differently maybe she would have conceded her defeat and waited to try another day. As it was however, she was not about to _accept it._ She struggled back against him pulling back with every ounce in her slim body. Gravity in its patient duty took hold of her and she found herself falling down into the darkness. Her treacherous hands, oh how they betrayed her. She latched onto the first thing she could reach…and then tumbled down through time. The landing on the other side was about as graceful as the fall. Everything was dark, and cold, and she was acutely aware of the fact that her face was well acquainted with the ground.

_Oh, my chin hurts. Why did I end up going in head first, that's was an awful idea. And Inuyasha better stay on the other side…I will sit him into oblivion if he tries to drag me back now. _

_Lets see, scratched chin, bruised side. Not too bad for a face plant. Now what is…_

She was holding something hard and round n her hand. Fear crept along her spin as she had some idea about what this something could be. Slowly she opened her hand to find her very good friend the prayer beads. Unfortunately the hanyou usually attached to them was disturbingly absent. A few beads fell off the end of the broken string and with each tiny thud of them hitting the ground Kagome felt her heart beat thud quicker in her chest.

"Maybe he hasn't noticed…"

As the last word came out of her tightening throat a warm gust of air blew across her neck.

"Guess again."

II

AN: hey I just wanted to add a quick note, that if your reading this, and think hey…didn't she write a story that started out this way before…well the answer is yes, "Oh the Irony" if you were wandering. But I decided to write a more dramatic version of that, without the spoofiness. Not to mention with fewer mistakes. Thanks!

Revised 4/18


	2. Chapter 2

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 2

Big Dog on Campus

Revised 4/18 AN: Okay so I'm stalling on finishing chapter 11 and I'm going back through the old chapters and fixing them up and here I come across problem that no one told me! It was night in the last chapter and day in this one…that wasn't on purpose!!! They were suppose to be in the same time frame oops!

II

"Inuyasha will you at least tell me where we are going you jerk!" He just shifted her on his shoulder and continued to stock off with her into the dark woods, with her playing the role of a sack of grain.

He was acting so strange. Sure the necklace was broken…big deal. Well yeah it was a slightly big kind of deal. Like she couldn't subdue anymore; that might make going home really tricky.

When he was acting like an ass she couldn't sit him. When he was picking on Shippou she couldn't sit him. When he made rude comments she couldn't do anything, but that was in the acting like an ass category. When he went all arrr…and full demon she couldn't subdue him.

Crap.

This was a bigger problem then she had originally thought. She liked being able to subdue him. It put them on equal footing.

And what about their friendship? Was he only friends with her because she could detect the shards and because he couldn't best her, because she could always sit him? Wasn't that how she got him to agree to help her gather all the shards with her in the very beginning? After a moment she dismissed the idea. They were friends, necklace or no. She just wasn't sure how fair a friendship they were going to have now that she wouldn't be able to get one up on him. Inuyasha wasn't saying anything about what he thought about this so far. She wished that the stupid necklace hadn't broke, then she wouldn't even have to think about this stuff.

Suddenly without warning he picked up a run. The slightly uncomfortable feeling of his shoulder being lodged in her stomach was now replaced with the _very_ uncomfortable feeling her stomach being pounded over his bony shoulder.

"Inuayshaa!!"

He didn't even seem to acknowledge the very pissed off girl on his shoulder and instead leapt into the trees and continued running.

Now up in the canopy Kagome's throat had actually tightened up to the point that sound wasn't coming out. Her hands were clenched in his silver hair and her eyes were huge.

They were high, really really high and going very fast….and she was seeing it all backwards.

Backwards didn't work for her. The ground was going the wrong way and it all looked like one dark blur. Why seeing everything move by this fast backwards bothered her so much, she had no idea, but it did. Her now slightly flailing legs latched around the only solid thing they could, his chest.

She still felt vulnerable with her upper half hanging over his shoulder like that. She needed something better to hang onto. It was when he took a leap from a higher branch to a lower one that she made the split second decision to latch onto his head with all her might. It wasn't a decision so much, as a panic fueled reaction. Inuaysha must have tried talking to her but at that point all she heard was muffled noises, and she found her voice again and began screaming.

Why backwards!?

Suddenly the tree limbs were gone, and Kagome's scream reached a new pitch as they fell down towards that inky black below. Inuyasha's hand grabbed hold of one of her arms involved in the death grip around his head, and yanked it away from his eyes. With his vision clear he spotted a solid looking branch hopping onto to that and then the rest of the way to the ground.

The sudden impact of the ground caused Kagome to almost fall out of his arms but he swung her up bridal style. The screaming abruptly stopped. There was an absolute silence that followed. Inuyasha's gold eyes were focused on the bundle in his arms in a look of horror and disbelief. His eyebrow was arched up to his hairline. Taking a small breath he spoke.

"Kagome…were you trying to get us killed?"

His voice was strangely serious with only a hint of unbelieving.

Finally bringing her shaken brown eyes up to his face she felt her stomach crawl back out of her throat and down where it belonged. Her nerve crept out of its hiding place and went back to where it belonged.

"No, but what the hell do you think you were doing! You can't just cart me off Inuyasha and you really can't have me seeing it all backwards!!" She took a small breath to calm her frazzled nerved then tried to fix him with a glare. It might have been more effective if she wasn't still trembling from their ordeal. "Just because the necklace is gone, does not mean that you can make me do whatever you want."

"Yeah well it does now. Every time you go home Naraku gets closer and closer to finding all the jewel shards before us. We're going to finish this Kagome. And you're not calling the shots anymore."

Kagome was aghast. When had she actually called the shots? Really, when?! Did she miss that part?

His arms dropped out from underneath her, and Kagome barely caught herself and stood. He kept a hand on her arm to steady her, despite his attitude.

"Well I am going back to the well."

Kagome had a suspicion that Inuyasha wasn't exactly going to just let that statement go, but she turned on her heel and started stomping off in the direction she thought the well was.

Strangely enough he didn't say anything. Instead he began walking casually a few paces behind her, his head slightly lowered and his arms crossed. She cast him an annoyed glance backwards and she noticed a strange little grin plastered at the corner of his mouth. What was he all happy about? Kagome continued stomping away until she stepped out the woods all together. Unfortunately it was not the well in front of was the village. She could hear Inuyasha let out a snort of laughter, and wanted nothing more than yank on one of those dog ears.

"I wanted to visit Kaede anyway…hmph." She didn't want to let him get to her so she preceded with her stomping all the way to Kaede's hut. It wasn't too late, and Kagome would still probably be awake. Inuyasha lagged behind staying at the edge of the village, and as she went to the door of the hut, she heard what sounded like insane laughter.

Kagome sighed in annoyance and entered the hut.

"Kaede, hey just thought I'd stop by for a visit." Kagome tried her best to look at little like her usually self, but the old woman looked up from her stew and knew something was wrong with the teenager.

"Well child you look as though a friend has died. Now what is wrong dear?" Kaede moved away from the steaming pot, her old bones clicking slightly as she went.

"Well you don't by any chance have a spare subduing necklace do you?"

Kaede for a moment looked confused and then the wrinkles on her brow deepened as she realized the problem.

"Now how exactly did the first one get broken Kagome, surely Inuyasha didn't manage it by himself did he?"

Kagome blushed pink, embarrassed by her own mistake. "Well you see I accidentally…broke it."

Kaede seemed to take a moment to think and then said very carefully. "Well child I know sometimes in the throes of passion things can get out of hand…"

Kagomes pink face went beet red. "What! No no no no, me and Inuyasha, no way, no it was, and I was, the well and it just…it broke."

Apparently Kaede had some strange assumptions about her relationship with Inuyasha, or maybe she had heard about what happened at the well earlier this week. That Miroku, what a gossip.

"Oh I'm sorry child, I had just assumed, with the way you act when he's goes off to see my sister Kikyo among other signs…Well I had assumed that the two of you had progressed with your relationship." The woman had now turned back to her stew. The good smelling contents were doing nothing to ease Kagome's frazzled nerves.

"Well…it's not like that at all...Kaede. It's…" Kagome stopped and kind of wandered off in her mind for a moment searching for whatever the right answer drew a blank.

"Well regardless of how it was broken, I do not have a replacement for you, I'm afraid. That was the only necklace I had, it had been a gift from a traveling miko to our village years ago."

Kaede was now sipping the stew and adding a few seasonings as she saw fit. She didn't seem at all unnerved by the fact that Inuyasha was no longer...subdoable.

"But I don't know what I'm going to do." Kagome said, her voice very unsure. She had kind of been counting on being able to put things back the way they used to be.

Kaede raised the eyebrow above her good eye. "Do you think that Inuyasha would harm you child, now that you no longer can subdue him?" She asked in sort of voice that sounded like a teacher waiting for the pupil to catch up.

"Well no...but"

Kaede cut Kagome off. "Then do you not believe that you can continue on your journey not having power over him?"

Feeling frustrated and a little lectured Kagome said her final piece. "But he won't let me go home, and I might not be able to physically stop him anymore, but he can stop me."

The old woman quirked the side of her mouth. "Well then I suppose you do need it then. Alright you will need to go to the north. The village between the mountains I believe. That is where the traveling miko had come from. There might be another necklace there."

A glimmer of hope sparked to life inside Kagome. She could put everything back the way it was. "Oh thank you Kaede, thank you so much. Now all I have to do is come up with a lie that will convince Inuyasha to go to the north."

She gave the old miko a quick hug and ran for the door.

"But then you could always talk to the boy, tell him how you feel about him barring your way home, he just might understand if you…" But Kagome was already making her way to the edge of the village. Kaede rolled her good eye.

Outside Kagome hurried past the huts. Some of the villagers still would cast her leering glances. It didn't really bother her anymore. None of them would approach her without the fear of having Kaede come after them if they did.

After hanging around in the village one day she was told a story about Kaede in her younger years that involved a man that was getting too forward with some of the farmers daughters, apparently Kaede cursed him, and the curse somehow involved seepage…

A flash of red caught her eye. Skidding to stop she turned and glared at the lounging Inuyasha. He was casually lying out on the roof of one of the villager's homes, which they surely appreciated.

"Were you listening to what me and Kaede were talking about?"

Kagome seriously hoped not. It could ruin everything.

"No why the hell would I listen to whatever you had to say to the hag." He jumped down and walked towards her purposefully.

Relief washed over her momentarily, until she realized he just might be approaching her with the intention of making her a human sack of grain again.

"Hey hey, Inuaysha don't you dare throw me over your shoulder again." He paused at her panicky reaction.

"Well fine, but no more bitching while we head to the campsite." He moved suddenly crouching before her with his back to her.

For a moment she considered that he was at the perfect height for her yank on one of his ears, but she dismissed the thought.

"Get on Kagome, or your going over my shoulder." He sounded so smug saying it. Well she was going to get that other necklace and then his spine was hers. He would eat so much dirt that his teeth would be permanently would …

"Over the shoulder it is..." Just as he was beginning to stand Kagome leapt foreword and got on his back.

"Jerk." She whispered.

"Bitch." He responded.

"You know Inuyasha I think I sense a jewel shard to the north."

If Inuyasha was able to see her face as she said this, he may have reconsidered having her on his back. Her normally pretty features were stuck in a strange sort of mix of mirth and reprisal.

"Well good. We'll get the others and head out tomorrow. And we won't stop to rest either. I'm sick and tired of how long it takes to get from one place to another with you humans in tow."

Kagome ignored the insult and instead laid her head slightly on his shoulder and thought of what the new day would bring.

If Inuyasha thought her lack of rebuttal was weird he didn't say anything, just continued towards the campsite. As he leapt into the canopy he tightened his grip a little on her thighs, perhaps giving her some security, after her recent panic filled episode or perhaps to prevent her from crawling all over his body and causing them to plummet two stories again.


	3. Chapter 3

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 3

Glimmer of Hope

Revised 4/18/10

II

"So the necklace is broken. Well this certainly is an unexpected turn of events."Miroku looked deep in thought as he said this. His voice didn't really show any of the concern that Kagome had expected.

Was she the only one that thought that this was the calamity that it was? She had explained what happened when she and Inuyasha had first arrived at the campsite. Unfortunately Sango, Shippou and Kirara had returned shortly thereafter.

The reunion was…as to be expected. Shippou had insulted Inuyasha in his usual too big for his britches way. Only now Inuyasha was not a leashed dog in the park, forced to play nice with the other puppies. Poor Shippou almost fainted when he realized Inuyasha was now a piece of very important jewelry short. That didn't stop him however from continuing with the insults.

That had been about half an hour ago.

Shippou was still running and hiding, in the woods nearby, with Inuaysah hot on his tail. Kagome at first had tried to separate the two but after 15 minutes Shippou had taken off past her and Inuyasha had followed.

Sango rubbed Kagomes back supportively as they sat together by the fire.

"I'm sure we can get the other necklace. We'll head to the other village in the north and then everything will be fine."

Kagome sighed and leaned into her friend for comfort. Hopefully it would all be that simple.

Suddenly Shippou appeared out of the thick forest groundcover. He was covered head to toe in mud, leaves were stuck at odd ends, and he wore the most defeated expression on his face.

"Kagome, Inuyasha is a jerk!" He shouted, plops of mud still dripping off of him.

Inuyasha came out of the woods behind him for all the world looking like the cat that caught the canary. He practically beamed with arrogance.

"Yeah well maybe you'll think twice about running that little mouth of yours. You don't have Kagome to save you anymore." Kagome flinched slightly as he said this and clenched her jaw in frustration.

Sango stood up abruptly and faced Inuyasha. "You're acting like ass."

Inuyasha's gold eyes went wide a moment with surprise. Sango never spoke to him that way. Her ire was usually reserved for the monk.

Kagome wasn't even looking at him, she had started pulling leaves and twigs out of Shippous matted hair.

"Feh whatever." He huffed and moved across the campsite to sit. He wasn't sulking exactly, but Sango had blown a bit of the wind out of his sails.

Kagome didn't even look at him. She had felt awkward ever since the beads snapped. She had these moments like when she was talking about the village to the north and getting a new necklace, where she felt in control. Like the situation was just temporary. Then there were other moments like now, with the inability to help Shippou, she felt just a little bit helpless.

"Shippou you're going to have to take a bath. Come on." Kagome got up quickly and started for the same hot spring the boys had been at when she had first made her great escape.

"I'll come with you." Sango said casting a final glare at Inuaysaha. "And neither of you better follow us."

As the girls disappeared Inuyasha kicked at the dirt in agitation. Miroku opened one of his closed eyes to look at the hanyou.

Inuyasha caught the look. "What, you got something to say monk?"

Miroku closed his eye once more to continue his meditation. "No Inuyasha. I was just wandering how you feel now that the necklace is gone."

Inuaysah rolled his eyes. "Right, and I bet you're on their side right?" He scoffed.

Miroku remained unmoved. "No, I'm not on anyone's side."

Inuyasha shifted slightly against the tree behind him.

"Coward" He said after a beat.

The monk chuckled a little.

At the hot spring the girls were relaxing near the shallows. Shippou had scrubbed most of the mud off, and was now repeatedly dunking himself under the deeper water. After every so dunks he would mutter something about "stupid dog." or "smelly mongrel."

"So how hard do you think it's going to be to put another necklace around his neck?" Sango asked ruefully.

Kagome looked at her sideways. "Maybe we could do it while he is sleeping."

Sango looked doubtful. "I don't think we could manage that. Shippou maybe, but the kit would be done for if he got caught."

The girls continued conspiring as the moon rose high in the sky. Later as they made their way back to the campsite, they heard a strange voice speaking with Inuyasha and Miroku. They entered the clearing and found a small demon man sitting in their camp. Miroku greeted the girls first.

"How was the bath ladies? My Sango, you have a lovely rose color to your cheeks."

"Can it monk." She said not missing a beat, in their strange courtship ritual.

Miroku placed a hand over his heart in mock pain.

"Oh Sango how you wound me, a poor and humble monk."

"Bullshit, why don't you tell Sango what cheeks you were really thinking about." Inuyasha called out.

"Inuyasha!" The girls cried in unison.

Miroku ignored the girls' astonishment and replied. "Touché."

The stranger watched this interaction with his mouth slightly agape.

"Well I suppose I'll be off. Thank you for the food. I will leave you with these… odd females." The demon wandered off into the woods.

Kagome hmped a little at his comment.

"Who was he?" Sango asked.

"A nomad I suppose, but he had news of a shikon shard to the west. So we traded information for food." Miroku answered.

"Yeah and guess where exactly in the west it is." Inuyasha growled practically as he spoke.

Kagome looked at the overall angry vibe Inuyasha was putting out and found it easy to guess.

"It's at Sesshomaru's castle?" Sesshomaru had never been interested in the shards before. Why would he be now?

"Yeah apparently the bastard's entertaining guests, or some such shit."The girls only appeared confused by Inuyasha's response, so they turned to Miroku.

"He means that someone who is staying with the western lord is in possession of a shard." The monk replied with great diplomacy.

This new information made a knot form in Kagome's stomach. If Inuyasha would rather go to the west and have an excuse to face his brother, which he would, then how the hell was she going to get the necklace and brake his spine? Where was the fairness in this? She had planned, she schemed, and now she wanted her revenge! Ok maybe that was a little dramatic.

"What the hell is wrong with your face?" Inuyasha asked as he peered at her.

Kagome realized she must have been staring off into space, and holding a weird unhappy expression on her face."Nothing, what's wrong with yours?" Came her not so smooth response. He looked at her queerly then seemed to shrug it off.

"Alright everyone get to sleep we're leaving first thing in the morning for the West."

Inuyasha moved to leap into the tree when Kagome quickly grabbed his arm.

"But what about the jewel shard I sense to the north? We can't just let it go." He shrugged off her arm.

"Pheh I rather some random demon have a jewel shard then my brother. We're going to the West."

He seemed to think that this was final, and moved to jump into the tree again. This time when Kagome reached to grab his arm she missed. She latched on to a chunk of his long hair instead. She was not about to be thwarted on this.

Inuyasha whipped back around and glared at the girl clutching his hair.

"Kagome let go!"

Sango saw the fight coming and jumped in to break it up.

"Hey, why don't Miroku and I head to the northern village and we can look for the shard there. Then you and Kagome can keep heading to the west." Sango let her eyes stray to Kagome, and she saw the younger girls eyes grow wide with was the perfect solution.

Miroku for his part was watching from the sidelines, firmly involved in his stance on non involvement. He didn't find it wise to tick off any member of their party really. Neutrality was the best route here.

"That's fine with me; we could have more shards and not waste time." Inuyasha finally leapt up into the tree and settled against one of its branches.

Kagome smiled happily at Sango, and mouthed "Thank you."

Inuyasha was keeping an eye on them from above. Suspicion was beginning to surface in his mind. Never before had the girls really suggested splitting up. Why now? But as everyone settled in for the night Inuyasha found that he really didn't care to dwell on it too much and drifted off.

TT

It was early the next morning that Inuyasha began to have serious doubts about Kagome and himself heading the west. They had only parted ways with the others a little earlier and Kagome was being…particularly bitchy.

"You know Kagome why don't you just stop talking." He finally growled. The girl who had been angrily sniping at him a few moments earlier was suddenly silent.

Kagome for her part had now stopped slightly behind Inuyasha. She was so angry with him. All morning he had ordered her around, for no other reason accept that he could. Every time she would yell back, he acted like she was some raging shrew. And now he told her to just not talk at all. She was seeing a brilliant shade of red, which had nothing to do with his clothing. Inuyasha barely glanced over his shoulder in time to see the blur of a priestess. She shoved him hard, her whole body going into the was so caught by surprise that he lost his balance and went toppling over into the was triumphant but for a moment, she stood flailing to catch her balance at the edge but inevitably tumbled in of this would have been so bad had there not been an inordinate amount of rain in the last week. The ditch had to be filled with at least a foot of mud that smelled like putrid … yanked his face out of the suctioning mud, and whipped around to face his attacker. Splatters of mud flew everywhere as he did then he heard it, this hysterical twinkling of laughter. Kagome was clutching her sides, sitting there covered in mud, not nearly as much as him though.

"What you think this is funny? What the hell is wrong with you? Is your brain broken?"

She didn't stop laughing though, and his irate questioning only seemed to further her amusement. He had very little options. He didn't want to bonk her on the head like he would Shippou, so he worked with what he had. A huge globule of mud caught her right in the face. The laughter stopped. After a moment two eyes opened from the wall of brown. They were the only things left visible of her face. This time it was Inuyasha laughter that rang out. It took Kagome only moments to fire back with her own handfuls of slop. They continued like this for a while. Anyone passing by would have thought two ugly brown demons were going at it in the ditch, but thankfully no one was around. It all came to end though as Kagome stopped mid throw and winced in pain.

"Oi wench what are you doing, faking injury, cause you know you were losing?"

Kagome ignored Inuyasha's question and began trying to get out of the ditch. She saw out of the corner of her eye Inuyasha step up and out, making it look so easy. She really just wanted to yank on those ears sometimes. She kept sliding back as she tried to get up the bank.

Finally Inuyasha grabbed hold of the back of her shirt and hauled her up. "Wench what is wrong with you."

This time his tone was more serious, and she knew she should answer."It's just a side stitch Inuyasha."

What a lie it was. It wasn't a side stitch at all. It was an extreme pain in her abdomen, and it felt like someone was just sliding a knife across her stomach and wouldn't stop. Of course what was she going to say to him? That she was about to get her period and now she had cramps, that were probably going to get so bad she was going to vomit. She really didn't want to have that conversation with any guy. Especially not this one, Inuyasha never reacted well to that sort of stuff. He had been in her room and found a box of tampons once, and after reading the box stared at her with horror on his face for a good five minutes. They apparently didn't have Sex Ed in this era. Go figure. He actually had the gall to question her on how she could shove things up where they didn't belong.

"That's it? Are you turning into a softy or something Kagome?" He seemed to buy the excuse just fine.

"You know Inuyasha, you are such a jerk today! So I can't subdue you anymore, big deal. That doesn't mean that you don't have to act like a decent human being." She shouted back, overreacting a little.

"Human being? Well I'm not a human. Does it bother you that I act like a demon? Maybe you should have stayed with Miroku and Sango, I'm sure they act human enough for you." He sneered. Her comment seemed to have killed any of the fun mood that they had been experiencing in the ditch.

Kagome grew frustrated. "That's not what I meant and you know it! You can't treat someone who's your friend like this. Whether you're a demon or not!"

"Oh yeah and what, you can slam a friend into the ground repeatedly with a subduing spell, just for saying something you didn't like?" Inuyasha watched as her eyes grew large. Feeling that he made his point Inuyasha turned and started down the road. Kagome didn't follow.

"Inuyasha maybe I abused the necklace a little, but you would have never let me go home if I didn't have it. You would never have agreed to help me gather the shards and you probably would have gotten yourself killed fighting your brother as a full demon." She was quieter now, but he knew he had touched a nerve, and what she was saying was true. Kagome would almost never have made it home, but then again maybe Naraku wouldn't have so many shards. Growing frustrated Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, and it wasn't just due to the drying mud covering his entire body. Inuyasha wanted out of this conversation as quickly as possible. He was happy he couldn't be subdued anymore, end of story.

"Kagome we don't have all day to stand around bitching about who did what, now get your ass moving."

Kagoe stood her ground. "No. Not until you agree to stop being such an ass."

Inuyasah rolled his eyes and walked back towards her. Kagome should have realized that that really wasn't going to happen. A few minutes later Kagome's demands and shouts had all died down as she hung uncomfortably from his shoulder once more. Really he was not going to have a spine when all was said and done, and she got the new necklace.

"This is really unnecessary Inuaysha, you don't need to treat me like a sack of grain every time I disagree with you."

She was in pain now; his shoulder was in the most inconvenient place. She was going to throw up on him, if he didn't let her down soon. She was going to need supplies too. She only had one tampon on her. That wasn't exactly going to last her the trip. She had planned on restocking when she went home…but that ship sailed, now didn't it. She shifted again. Being covered in mud, plaster to someone else covered in mud, and under the baking sun, had to be one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever. She was so angry at him. It was like a little person in the back of her head jumping up and down just cursing his name. Maybe he was right about her abusing that necklace, but he abused his power just as much. The necklace made them equal. He had super human abilities, she could break his back. It all worked. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice as the scenery changed and they were no longer on the road. It wasn't until she heard the sound of his bare feet stepping into water that she realized they were at a large pond. Absolute elation flooded her.

Of course they would have had to take a bath, what were they going to do? Walk around as the mud people? The only time that would seem remotely okay was at Woodstock. Inuyasha slid her down off his shoulder.

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!" Kagome yelled excitedly. She waded out until she was waist deep and began ringing the mud out of her clothes.

Inuyasah just stared at her like she was a three headed demon. One minute angry, next minute extremely happy, all because of a little water.

Females…

He didn't dwell on it for too long before he waded into the water as well and began to get the crusted brown stuff off. Kagome was happily submerging herself, and cascades of dirt were expanding out from her in the water. After she successfully got her hair to feel like hair again and not a dried up mop she came up from under the water. She turned to look at Inuyasha, feeling slightly more apologetic and a whole lot less vengeful, and stopped short. He had removed several layers of clothing while she had been dunking herself. His back was turned towards her, and she couldn't help but appreciate the lean muscle there. His hair covered most of the skin, but she could see his shoulders, and the contours of the lithe muscles of his arm. He had nice shoulders. He always stood up straight and looked so comfortable in his stance. Some guys her age would hunch a little, like they were uncomfortable with longer limbs after sudden growth spurts. He turned slightly and caught her roving eye.

"What?" He asked dumbly. Any answer Kagome could have had, died in her throat. She had seen Inuyasha's chest before. She had seen his abs, but there he stood in barely waist deep water, and her eyes met the water line and widened in surprise. His hipbones were visible on his thinner frame, but it was the white hair that dipped below the water that had her gasping.

"Inuyasah where are your pants?" She asked in high panicky kind of voice. Inuyasha looked down at his bare body, and didn't seem to register the problem.

"Oi, you can't see anything new. What's your problem?" He looked at her quizzically.

Kagome closed her eyes tight and began to wave towards the large boulder partially segregating the pond.

"Just go over there; please…just go be naked over there."

"I don't see what your problem is…" Kagome ignored him and continued to point towards the boulder while her eyes remained tightly shut. She wasn't exactly looking for a firsthand look at the male anatomy. The science texts pretty much gave her the general idea. She had an inny, he had an outy. Not talking belly buttons here. No further clarification needed.

Inuyasha looked at her rosy cheeks, red with embarrassment. Maybe he would cut her some slack. He let his eyes slide over the rest of her form. Her white school blouse had soaked through, he could clearly make out that thing she called a bra. It looked a little small for her. Her breasts were pushed up, like they were trying to escape the confines of that torture device. Inuyasha swallowed hard. Maybe bathing separately was a better idea anyway.

"Fine I'm going wench."

He began wading through the water, and Kagome released a breath. She opened her eyes just in time to catch a hint of butt cheek as Inuyasaha stepped over a sandbar. She slammed her eyes shut again. She just saw guy butt. She was not going to think about it. She was not going to think about it. Taking another deep breath she peaked over towards the boulder once more, just to make sure he was out of sight. He was thankfully, behind the began to relax little. Wading towards the shore, she saw that Inuyasha had left his clothes on the bank, spread out to dry; it wasn't a bad idea, as long as he didn't come over here. If he did, she would find a way to gauge out his eyes and tear off his ears.

Grabbing her shirt she pulled it up over her head. It was awkward pulling the sopping wet material off. It reminded her of when her family went to an amusement park, and they saved the log ride for last. It was awful riding home in the car, having to sit on towels with wet jeans and underwear. Nothing is harder to take off then a wet pair of jeans.

Kagome wrung out her blouse and tossed it onto the shore. Next she unhooked her bra. It was a shame that it was too small. It was one of her favorites, with a pretty lace pattern and a little white bow in the middle. Unfortunately she was one of those early bloomers, and she was a b at 13. Now at 16 she was bordering on a c cup. They really didn't need to be that big. Her friends were a little jealous, but she really didn't think it was all that great. Next she took the skirt that was floating around her and tossed that on the shore. Her socks and her shoes went as well. At least she got the mud off her shoes, but now they were probably going to take three weeks to dry. Finally she removed her underwear, only to discover with great displeasure that her monthly bill had arrived. She scrubbed them furiously, until they were just about good as new and tossed them on the shore with the rest of her things. Guys never had to deal with any of this unpleasant stuff. There should have to be some cosmic equaling system. She wasn't sure what guys should get if girls got periods, but it should be something annoying, and embarrassing.

They did have problems though with that …well sometimes boys in her class would have issues with…erections. Like when they couldn't' get up from their desk, or they carried a book in front of them, but everyone knew why they did it. That was kind of funny. Alright maybe it was kind of an awful thought, but she slightly happier realizing that guys have their own settled down on a little rock right at the edge of the water. It was deeper here, and she was exposed only from the top of her breast up.

Did Inuyasha ever get erections?

Kagome tensed. She did not just think that. That was not a good path to go down. She wasn't going to think about it. She needed to stop thinking about these things.

She closed her eyes resolutely, and tried to relax.

He probably did.

Her eyes shot open. It was like her brain was mocking her with these thoughts. Okay yes, he was a young, male…who probably had thoughts and fantasies like every other hot blooded male his age. There, perfectly normal…and completely mature realization. Now stop thinking about it!!

Kagome swished some of the water around her feet. This was all too frustrating. She closed her eyes once more, and found that her brain was not about to supply anymore inappropriate topics. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had been enjoying the warm sun on her face for only a few minutes when a large shadow blocked the sun. Her eye cracked open. She glanced to her left, and spied clawed had to have a death wish if he was standing over her right now. She tilted her head back to look up at him, and she was greeted with long toned masculine legs, powerful things, and a huge…dangling soft looking...and there were sacks under it, also on the big side, and dark black curly hair framing it all.

She couldn't look past it. It was a penis…It took a moment to process. It was staring at her.

Then it.. his, the…this was not Inuyasha!

The scream that erupted from within in her could have shattered glass. She began frantically trying to run to deeper water to cover herself. Only running in water is not that easy. She never stopped screaming though.

She barely saw, a quick flash of white that came flying from behind the boulder. Suddenly she was tucked into a wall of damp silver hair. Inuyasha wasted no time putting himself between Kagome and the naked new comer.

"Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck are you trying to do to Kagome.!"

Inuyasha didn't have his sword on him but his claws were out and he was ready.

The man, or in this case demon raised a delicate black eyebrow. He was a cat demon of some sort. All lean muscle, that made him appear graceful even standing there without a stitch of clothing on.

"I'm sorry I hadn't realized the female was with someone. If I had such a creature I certainly wouldn't leave her unattended in woods." The demon drawled in bored sort of tone.

Inuyasha growled deep in his throat. "Well she wasn't _unattended_ you fucker so you can get lost."

"Indeed. I had only intended to bathe here and then I smell this wonderful scent. And low and behold it's a young girl. Perhaps a bit too young for my tastes, but the blood scent tells me that she's of breeding age. My question to you is why do you keep such a creature and then not make use of her."

Kagome who was clutching at Inuyasha's hair behind him, making sure his body was blocking the demon's view of hers, let out an indignant sound.

"Listen buddy, there will be no making use of anybody..." She yelled, barely looking over Inuyasha's shoulder to say it.

The demon ignored her, but kept his attention on Inuyasha.

"You let the girl speak for you, how interesting. Maybe it's not that you don't want to take her, it's that you're so young and inexperienced that you don't know how." The demon smiled cruelly as Kagome looked over Inuyasha's shoulder once more.

Inuyasha was trembling with anger.

"Yeah I don't' think you'll be talking about my experience level when I rip your guts out."

Kagome noticed a purple mark begin to show on Inuaysha's back. This was not good. He didn't have Tetsuaiga on him.

"Inuyasha…you need to calm down a little. Or get the sword." She whispered into his ear.

The demon spoke again, noticing their little interaction.

"Well I really wasn't looking for a fight today." He paused and titled his head slightly giving him a better view of Kagome. Inuyasha grabbed her wrist with one arm and pulled her even more out of the other males view.

"Girl, do you wish to stay with this mongrel. I assure you that if you come with me all of your _needs _will be met." The demon spoke as calmly and disinterestedly as he had before.

Kagome stayed tucked in behind Inuyasha.

"Um no…I'm good thanks." She answered in a high voice.

"What a waste then." The demon smiled at Inuyasha once more and then he took off.

Kagome felt Inuayasha's muscles bunch as he prepared to follow. She threw her arms around him.

"Inuyasha don't." She implored.

He stopped. Her small arms were wrapped tightly across his chest, and her body was pressed intimately against his own, in an effort to keep him from running after the cat demon.

The moment turned awkward as Kagome realized she had her chest smashed into his back, and she was pretty sure he could feel that. She could feel the muscles of his back against her flat stomach; his drying hair tickled her chest. Her nipples had grown to hard peeks, which she was positive he was aware of.

Abruptly she let go, blushing a bright shade of red. "Sorry…" She mumbled, stepping back from him.

"It so'kay." His voice was a little higher, and she had been looking at his face she would have realized he was blushing too. After a moment Inuyasha seemed to recover from his embarrassment.

"Alright Kagome lets get out of here, before any other demons decide you smell good and show up naked." Kagome silently agreed with him. No more naked demons thank you.

As he started to move towards the shore, she followed a little ways behind.

Inuyasha didn't even pause as he left the water, giving Kagome full view of yet another naked man.

Hadn't she previous mentioned that she was done with this for today!?

"Inuyasha!" She screeched.

"Well don't look then." He replied while pulling on his still wet garments. Kagome kept her eyes focused down.

"Tell me when you're done." She called. He made a noise that sounded like a "hn."

"Done." He said. She opened her eyes to find him staring right at her.

She however was in water that was just barely covering the goods.

"Turn around!" She yelled. She watched with some satisfaction that his ears laid flat on his head, in response to her yelling. Inuyasha made some grumbles of annoyance but he turned completely from her, keeping his eyes to the woods surrounding them. Kagome never thought Inuyasha as much of a peeping tom, but he also didn't seem to find nudity as such an odd thing. So the few times she had caught him checking up on her bathes she was actually pretty sure it was for safety reasons. Miroku on the other hand…

She hurried from the water, squeezing her hair out as she went.

She grabbed at her wet clothes and unhappily began pulling the wet fabrics back over her now chilly body.

She may have trusted Inuyasha somewhat, but she kept glancing at his back every now and then, assuring herself that he was keeping his eyes where they belonged. Finally she came to the bad part. She needed use the tampon and Inuyasha was right there. What if he turned around right as she was putting it in? She would die. Fall down dead right then and there. After a moment she decided she really couldn't' just go without. She pulled her undies down and quickly used her last tampon. She yanked her underwear up quickly, which was difficult because it was a soggy mess, and then smoothed her skirt down over her legs.

"Done." She finally called. Inuyasha glanced back at her.

"Good let's get going." He crouched down in front of her.

She didn't move to get on him right away and he glanced back at her.

"Come on we can get there faster this way."

"Alright…" She said finally and climbed on. Maybe if she didn't have to walk as much her cramps would go away.

Inuyasha put his hands around her legs like he normally did and they took off.

She was wrong however about the cramps maybe going away. Instead as they were making their way through the trees, she called frantically for Inuyasha to stop.

He skidded to a halt and she leapt off, just in time to run to a bush and loose her breakfast.

They had been walking ever since. Inuyasha seemed worried by the sudden sickness. As the throwing up subsided, they continued on in silence for a while. Eventually though Kagome broke it.

"Why did that demon think that we should be..." She paused thinking of the right word. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, slightly worried where this line of questioning was going to lead. "Lovers." She finally finished.

Inuyasha swallowed once. "Cause he's as ass."

Kagome glanced at him. "Inuyasha come on."

Inuyasha knew that she was not going to stop with the questioning, so perhaps it would be easier to just answer her.

"He thought that you and I should be rutting partners, cause in the demon world, the only reason a demon travels with a human female is either she's a servant or… she offers other services." He finished lamely.

Kagome seemed to absorb this information for a moment. "But what about the little girl that Sesshomaru travels with?" She looked worriedly at him. "Nobody thinks he's having sex with a little girl right?"

These questions were not fun.

"No, he's a bastard, but he's not into little girls. Rin…isn't a woman yet. So as far as every other demon is concerned she just a ward. It might seem a little weird, but not completely unheard of."

Frustration made Kagome's brows knit.

"But…I'm not really a woman… I mean I've never had sex …before." She blushed bright red, realizing what she had just said aloud.

Inuyasha didn't seem to notice her embarrassment, but kept his eyes ahead on the road. "Yeah, but you bleed every month. It means you can have pups, which makes you a woman." Inuyasha never let his eyes make it her way. It was far too uncomfortable a topic.

Kagome put the pieces together.

"So that's what that demon was talking about, blood scent." She meant to say it more to herself, but Inuyasha answered anyway.

"Yeah, he saw you there, and the scent of your monthly blood told him you were old enough." Inuyasha just seemed to be getting more uncomfortable as the conversation progressed.

"But I thought that most demons didn't want children that are half human…" She said looking apologetic even as she said it.

"Feh…they don't. He wanted you as a lover. High society demons keep human pets sometimes, or at least that's what I've been told."

"Oh…wait you know that I have my period…" She blurted out.

Inuyasha turned and looked at her. "I can smell scent trails days old, and track people for miles, but you don't think I can smell blood on you?" He asked like he thought she was stupid.

Kagome looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She had never really thought about him knowing things like that. It was…weird.

Inuyasha raised a brow but started moving again. After a moment she caught up.

"Besides your lucky only a few kinds of demons have that good a sense of smell. Otherwise there would be horny demons coming around a few weeks before your blood time every month. That's when your in heat you know."

Kagome's mouth dropped. She could tell by Inuyasha's tone that he was using this information to embarrass her. Great he now had another weapon to use against her. Wasn't that fabulous, he could sniff what her body was doing, before she even realized it.

"What? Haven't you noticed that bastard wolf shows up at the same time in the month? It's no coincidence."

Oh she could just kill Inuyasha.

"Stop it, I don't want to hear that!" She was seriously considering taking off her wet shoe and flinging it his head. But that's when she realized where they were.

The well.

What the…?

"Inuyasha…did you get lost?"

He hmphed and started towards the well.

"Come on, you need your female stuff and I'm sick of your bitching."

Despite the insult a huge smile split Kagome's face. Regardless of what he said his reasons were, she knew that he did it for her.

Maybe there was hope.

Two hours later Kagome lay cozy and warm in her soft pjs, on her amazingly comfortable bed. She had showered, eaten, brushed her teeth, and taken some aspirin for her cramps. Life wasn't good, life was absolutely fantastic.

Now she just had to wait for the aspirin to kick in and then she could get the best night sleep she ever had. She rubbed her abdomen absently, willing away the pain.

She heard the sound of the blow dryer turn off. Inuyasha must have finished with his shower.

She had left him some of her father's old pjs, as his clothes were being run through the washer. He had tried to convince her to throw them just in the dryer, but given the opportunity to get this boy fully clean, she wasn't about to pass it up.

Her door clicked open, but she didn't turn over because she knew who it was. He shut the door behind him and she could hear his steps pause at her bed. After a moment he sat down beside her. She could tell he was looking at her, probably waiting for her to tell him where to sleep. But he knew he could bunk in Souta's room. Then he lay down beside her. Kagome's eyes shot open on surprise.

He had never gotten in her bed with her before, all the nights he stayed at the shrine; he'd never done this before.

The two of them barely fit into her twin size bed. He lay on his back, and she on her side. This left her practically pressed into him. Had he taken what that cat demon said seriously? But he made no further move. Maybe he was just going to go to the sleep?

"Inuaysha?" She questioned. Her voice was hesitant, hoping that she wasn't provoking an answer she didn't really want.

"Yeah…" Came his casual reply. And what was that in his voice? Humor, did he think this was a joke.

"What are you doing…" She ventured slowly, opening her and fixing them on the bedroom wall in front of her.

"Laying here." He answered in the same casual way, and this time she knew he was messing with her.

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Uh huh, and why are you lying in my bed?" Oh if she only had the necklace back, he would be lying on her floor right now, better yet she would have sent him all the way downstairs.

Inuyasha shifted about on the bed and seemed to be finding a better spot. "It's pretty comfy." This time she could practically see the smirk on his face as he spoke.

She turned and glowered at him over her shoulder. "You are enjoying this aren't you?" He knew what she was referring to imiediatly, the missing necklace was like the elephant in the room at all times.

"Pheh, you better believe it. I can do anything I want and theres nothing you can do to stop me now."

And he decided he wanted to be in her bed…because she couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted? Those sounded too much like a perverted villains lines that it was hard to believe that was how Inuyasha had meant it.

"Yeah ins't it just great." Her sarcasm was not lost on Inuyasha.

"Pheh damn right it is." He purposely ignored her tone, then sighed cotendedtly.

Kagome was trying her best to be as relaxed as her seemed, but that constant throbbing pain in her abandom, kept her from finding the comfort she was craving from her _comfy_ bed. She let out a small sound of discontent as a pain ground itself in particurly badly.

After it passed she tried to relaxed again, and kept moving her hand soothingly over her stomach. The heat of his body beside hers was comforting in a way, and she could hear his steady relaxed breathing. It didn't feel uncomfortable surprisingly.

She felt him shift, this time rolling into her, his body spooned hers, almost, but he kept a little bit of distance between them. Now what was he up to?

Then his hand came around her, and he was rubbing her stomach. Butterflies were flitting about her stomach. He was so close that she could feel his pajama covered chest just barely touching her back. Warm shivers ran down her spine and a blush crept up her neck.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Go to sleep." Was his tired reply. She smiled at the wall.

"We leave at sunrise tomorrow Kagome."

She rolled her eyes. He had to go and ruin it. She couldn't really be annoyed right now though, life was too good.


	4. Chapter 4

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 4

The Pink Fruit (It lives!)

Revised 4/20

Kagome groaned into her pillow. Rays of sunlight were streaming across her room, and shinning on her face. She just wanted to sleep a little longer. She moved one of her arms to block the bothersome sunshine from her eyes. Her other arm curled deeper under her pillow, as she tried to follow the sandman back into the dream world.

Her third arm however stayed heavily strewn across her midsection…

Bleary brown eyes lazily blinked open. Half awake she took in her surroundings. She was curled up in her bed, this was her comforter, that was her wall… and behind her was another warm body. Hmmm…Glancing down she saw the clawed hand of her companion, and then it began to return to her. Last night Inuyasha had been lying down with her, and he had rubbed her stomach until she dozed off. But she had believed he wouldn't stay the entire night beside her. Apparently she was very very wrong. Kagome tried not to move as she laid there thinking what to do next. Should she wake him up, or wait for him to wake up? She had to pee though, so either way something had to happen soon. What if her mom walked in?

Still half awake she began to worry. Her sweet understanding mother, who thought her child an innocent girl, would never look at her the same. What if her grandfather walked in?

That was a slightly more horrific thought. The man would either try and purify Inuyasha, or force them to marry. Neither scenario was a good one. Inuyasha wouldn't exactly be thrilled being pelted with holy dirt, and having an old man beat him with a ceremonial staff. Not to mention the other option…_Do you take this woman to be your wife,… you better…., _then more dirt and the ceremonial staff. She groaned into her pillow. Her stirring did not go unnoticed. For a moment he seemed to be waking, he moved and mumbled something she couldn't understand; the arm still around her waist yanked her back into hard unyielding chest, and held her there.

Kagome squeaked as she was tucked up in his arms like a child's teddy bear. Inuyasha settled back into the dream world and Kagome found her self unable to move. His arms were tightly wrapped around her, and as she tried to roll away from him, his grip only tightened. Kagome was left mesmerized by the sheer feeling of strength in his arms. There was no give whatsoever, in those steel bands. She felt like she couldn't breathe in too deep, because the pressure wouldn't allow it.

"Inuyasha." She whispered.

She wasn't sure what was worse at this point, lying there with him, or waking him up and having to deal with his reaction. Though it wasn't all that bad, his arms were warm and strong around her, and when she breathed in she smelt peaches and cream…hmm someone has been using her shampoo again. He began to stir, at the sound of her voice. Inuyasha mumbled something into her hair, and apparently decided that waking up was not what he wanted to do, and instead burrowed his face further into her back. Kagome's heart just about jumped up her throat as his face pressed into the bare skin of her neck. She felt his smooth lips rest there, and warm puffs of air escape the slightly parted mouth. Electrical tingles began to crawl across her skin. She knew that she was probably flushed. Heat was just cascading through her. Her cheeks were warm, her head felt a little light, and butterflies were going crazy in her stomach.

Was it wrong for her to enjoy a moment like this? Inuyasha probably didn't even know who it was he was so intimately pressed into. What if it was someone else he dreamt of?

Kikyou.

That name was more than a butterfly killer. "Inuyasha, come on." She said more loudly this time.

Whatever those words must have sounded like in his sleep addled brain she did not know, but they must have sounded like some kind of invitation. A low growl reverberated against her neck, as she felt his hips press wantonly into her backside. There was not an inch between them now, as he had fully spooned her. This all wouldn't have been too different from the position she was just in, if it wasn't for the engorged penis now pressed firmly into her. She could feel the heat of it through their thin pajamas.

Kagome's jaw was stuck half open.

It was poking her!

Well she was awake now, and extremely aware of what was going on behind her. Inuyasha rocked his hips further a bit, and Kagome forgot how to breathe for a moment. She could feel the full outline of it pressed meaningfully into the cleft of her butt. It was big. Were they supposed to be that big? Well either way she wasn't about to wake him up and ask him…

She leaned as far as she could away from him, which basically involved her legs and her head leaning towards her bedroom wall, and everything else was left plastered to the horny demon. Inuyasha did not wake fully, but dragged his arm down to the cradle of her hips near the top of her thighs and pulled her back to him. Kagome couldn't believe the situation she was placed in, she was being held hostage by a sleeping hanyou with a hard on. She gritted her teeth, and tried to push his arms off her once more.

"Dammit." She seethed as she failed to untangle herself from his needy grasp. She reached her pale arms to the edge of the mattress and gripped on tightly to it. She took a deep breath and began to pull.

She was not…going to….be stuck here …with that…thing….in her butt!

She was growling with the effort to pull herself free. Suddenly there was a jolt from behind her. She heard an intake of a sharp breath, and the arms around her tense, then release. It only took a second more before they were retracted fully from her body.

"Kagome." He croaked. She felt his hips withdraw from their position, and then the bed shifted quickly.

"I'll be back later." He said in rush. This all happened within a couple seconds, Kagome was still curled up facing the wall. She glanced over her shoulder to see him gone, the window open.

"What the hell just happened?" She whispered to herself.

Sango and Miroku walked amicably down the well worn road. It had been a day since they left Inuyasha and Kagome.

"So…do you think it was wise to leave those two together?" Miroku asked. His hand was inadvertently heading for the curve of her ass, but her eye caught the stray movement.

"It's about as wise as us two being together."

WHACK!

She nailed his little perverted head, hard enough for his face to fly to the side. "Someone's likely to get hurt." She added snippily.

"Hey wait for me!" Shippou came running up his arms loaded with something pink and bright.

"What do you have there?" Sango asked, gesturing towards the weird shaped objects Shippou carried.

"Food! Here!" He handed some out to Sango, she took it curiously.

It felt like a fruit, the skin was taught, but if she squeezed it she could tell it was softer inside. Miroku looked at the fuchsia food skeptically, and then declined its offering.

"I have a rule against eating things that are pink." Sango gave him a dubious look.

"Is your masculinity that easily compromised?"

She brought the plant to her nose and smelt it. It smelt of jasmine, or honey. She smiled faintly. Miroku looked at her with eyebrow arched.

Shippou ate it first. "Yummmmmmm!" He exclaimed to no one in particular. Sango looked at Miroku and shrugged before popping the pink morsel into her mouth.

She had never heard of a pink poisonous fruit before, and it certainly smelled lovely, so why not?

"Your right Shippou that was good." She turned back to Miroku,

"Why don't you try some Miroku, it is good." He arched a brow, he was apparently still put off by the effeminate fruit.

She was about to speak again when a wave of dizziness hit her. The forest around them spun suddenly, and she felt her legs weaken.

"Whoa!" Miroku stepped towards her and grasped her arms. "Are you…"

Sango's eyes, which had glazed over, suddenly focused on him. Her red lips parting ever so slightly. It appeared like she was seeing him for the first time. Her expression was wide and open. Miroku congratulated himself on the wise choice not to partake in the girly fruit. Now he just had to make sure that whatever the effects the fruit was having on the others was not serious.

"Here Sango why don't you sit." He helped guide her to a rock at the edge of the path. She sat quietly for a moment but her eyes never left his face.

"Hey Sango how are you feeling?" He crouched down in front of her trying to get her to come out of whatever was wrong with her. She continued in her silent inspection of his face. Miroku began to worry.

"Hey, can you answer me?" He reached a hand to cradle the side of her face, trying to get her to say something.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she said nothing. Miroku was trying to suppress the nervous tension building in his chest. He peered closer at her. Her wide eyes did not change and remained focused on his face, but Miroku noticed that there was ring of pink around the pupil of the eye. This was not a good moved slightly foreword, quite suddenly, capturing his lips. Her warm lips pressed into his, and Miroku was so stunned that he kept himself crouched there, unsure of what to do. She eventually pulled back and an impish smile shown on her face. Miroku was speechless for a moment, and just when he was piecing together something to say she interrupted him.

She grabbed his face and devoured his lips with her own. Her kissing was inexperienced, but passionate. She lacked rhythm but seemed to have the drive. She pushed him right back into a tree.

"Sango, what are you...I mean, not that I'm not enjoooooooooying." His voice rose as she nibbled his ear. "It…"  
"I'm going to leave you guys alone now." Shippou looked very alarmed by the turn of events, and scampered off into the tree line.  
"Wait Shippou comeback!" Miroku had no idea what do to do with the woman, tearing off his robes. Well he had a few ideas, but none of them she would be too pleased with when whatever was wrong wore off.

"Help me get her off!" Shippou walked back timidly, looking like this was the last thing he wanted to become involved in.

Together they managed to pry Sango off. She stood back panting.

"I want to have your baby!" With that said she began pulling at the folds of her dress. Miroku ignored his better judgment, telling him to just let it happen, and moved forward to stop her.

"Sango…noooo. Come on now." He had barely reached her to try and shake some sense into her, when she managed to slip the cloth from her shoulders and reveal her bound breasts. The outline of her chest could be made out very clearly, and Miroku had a great imagination to figure out the rest.

"I know what you want." She said in an alluring siren esque type fashion, that Miroku had never heard from her before. Miroku's eyes doubled, then bulged, his heart stopped and he sunk to the ground in a heap. Shippou ran over looking over the priest. Sango followed while placing her clothing back on her body. Shippou shook the monk repeatedly.

"You killed him!" He wailed.

"No he's just unconscious." Sango dropped to the ground and picked up Miroku's hand and began to stroke it affectionately. Shippou stood on the other side of the fainted priest. He eyed Sango curiously. Adults were getting funnier and funnier these days. As Sango continued to fawn over the downed monk an old woman came walking down the road.

The woman stood back and observed the scene for a moment, her small coal black eyes barely visible from under the sagging skin of her brows, widened as she spied the leftovers of the pink fruit. She cussed and then added. "Kids these days, you tink dey would learn dat de passion frewt is and afrowdesiac. You should nevea eat pink frewt!"

"Told ya." Miroku, still seemingly still unconscious mumbled.

"Come,come childwen, lets get wussy boy ta da village." She beckoned as she continued past the couple on the road. Shippou chuckled to himself and continued after the old woman.

"Hey miss lady, why wasn't I affected?" She looked down at Shippou and smiled. "Oh childe you aint filled wit de evil man spirit yet, when your older you will get possesd by the man spirit, and you will spend all de time lokking at de girls, and you will be filled wit evil thots. You will be a filthy man, and you will be a slave to your needs as low and vile as de be, and your man staff, da filthy thing!" Shippou stared horrified at the old woman. The woman stopped in her rant.

"Oh but you den't haf to worry bout that now boy, your still a good little boy." She smiled a crazy little smile, and Shippou felt no reassurance.

A little while later they had been accepted into the village and the village women had agreed to help Sango get over her "affliction."

Miroku sunk into the hot water of the bath, well more like a barrel, but who's complaining. The very nice women had drawn a bath for him in the communal bath house, as they tended to Sango. Apparently the pink fruit was a powerful aphrodisiac that was indigenous to this area. The women were trying to get Sango to relax and drink a herbal remedy that counteracted the fruits affects. It was a little disappointing to say the least that her sudden amorous attentions towards him were not a sudden realization that she wanted him and couldn't stand to go another minute without knowing his touch. He closed his eyes and sighed. Well at least the fruit only intensified the feelings of the person who ate it. Which would mean his dear Sango was as much interested in him as he was in her. He simply concluded that they had different ways of showing it. The water rippled around, him sending off warning signals in his head.

"Hello." Sango whispered in soft silky voice. His siren had slipped into the water, while he was dozing in the warm bath.

Sango moved towards him, a knowing little smirk gracing her lips. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her hair was down and spilling out into the water like a sea nymphs, the heat from the bath had made her cheeks a rosy pink and her eyes were warm, inviting and full of promises. She stepped up to him and pressed her naked body up to his equally naked one. The only way to describe Miroku's expression was pain filled. As much as this was the exact situation he could fantasize over, Sango was never under the influence of any crazy love fruits in those fantasies. He turned his head to the side trying his best to avoid her searching, soft lips, while squinting his eyes shut. Her body was soft in some places and muscled and toned in others. His own body was reacting without his consent. Her lower body pushed into his, pressing his growing erection up between them. When she felt the hardness against her flat tummy she glanced down the steamy water curiously. Oh his little innocent Sango. This was all too much.

Didn't she realize that she was going to be the death of him?

"Sango please, you must stop this!" He cried.

She suddenly stopped. Miroku peeked out of one of his eyes, still expecting quite possibly the best and worst thing in the world to happen to him.

"YOU PERVERT!"

WHACK!!

Sango splashed back across the tub, and in her wake a bruised and strangely happy Miroku. He was able to peek at her firm and round bum as she snatched the clothes she had left on the floor.

"Stop looking you pervert!" He just smiled, happy to have his Sango back. That fruit wore off as suddenly, as the women of the village had said it would. She had a lovely backside, it was really impossible for him not admire it. She was always so angry with him when he fell into his perverted ways, but if she knew the sheer appreciation he had for her form maybe she wouldn't be so quick to dole out the punishment. Then again…

II

An: alright a large portion of this is a rewritten part of "oh the irony" but personally I just felt that the pink fruit had to live on.


	5. Chapter 5

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 5

What you don't know…

An: alright I know that I had all this big talk of getting the next chapter out quickly…well…and here it is two months later. My computer crashed and I had to get a new (a) drive and all my work was lost, so the almost finished chapter that I had done a month and a half ago was gone. It would be an understatement to say I wasn't discouraged by this. Not to mention I was in Mexico for a while. So all that said I will hopefully be back on track and updating frequently.

II

He was quiet and determined not to talk about what had happened that morning. She didn't really want to talk about it either, so that worked for her.

How could he have said Kikyo's name while he lay in bed with her? Did he always dream of her? Did he always have …_those _kinds of dreams about her? Kagome could not focus on much of anything else as she absently pulled supplies from the pantry. Did he always look at her and see Kikyo? The very thought of it caused something tight to form in Kagome's throat. It was fine if he didn't care for her in _that_ way…but if he constantly saw her as a stand in for the dead priestess then where did that leave her? She tossed another item into the bag, this time a little more forcefully. Eyeing the contents of her yellow bag, she briefly considered taking out all the ramen. It would serve him right. Sliding the zipper shut with more effort than was required she fought back the burning in her eyes.

She was not going to cry.

It was all so stupid. It's not like she wanted him having those kind of dreams about her…right? Besides she knew he wanted Kikyo, she was his first love. But couldn't he have the decency to have erotic dreams about the dead priestess, oh let's say sometime _not_ when he's pressed up against her, holding her in her bed, making her feel like maybe, just maybe, she was something more than a friend to him. She swung the bag onto her shoulder and began to hurry out of the kitchen. Unfortunately in her rush she failed to pay attention to how far her bag hung out. There came a resounding crash, followed by a rolling twinkling across the tile floor.

Kagome froze, her tearing eyes wide, there was only one thing that would have made such an echoing sound, her mother's favorite glass vase with its vine and flower pattern. The thick glass had always reflected the sunlight that filtered through the big bay window. Turning her honey brown eyes to the floor Kagome felt more tears and frustration build.

"Shit." She cursed, slightly out of character.

The glass shards glittered like tiny diamonds across the floor. A couple fragments even winked at her from her stocking clad feet. The pieces had become stuck in the fibers of her white school socks. There was nowhere to go, she was trapped in sea of glittering little skin tearing razors. Of course this would happen, why hadn't she seen it coming? The morning had been going _so_ well. Sucking on her bottom lip, she bent and began to gather the glass pieces into her palm, trying to clear at least a small path where she could step out of this mine field. She tried being careful with the sharp fragments, but one errant shard slid into the soft pad of her finger like a knife into butter. It was so sharp and sudden that it took her a moment of staring at her finger to realize that there was something jammed in there.

"Ohh shoot." Kagome hissed as she plucked the offending finger spear out.

A deep crimson drop of blood began to form at the tip of her finger, and she watched it bead for moment, before popping it in her mouth.

Maybe she could just go back to bed, and wake up again, this time without a horny demon dreaming of another woman. Yes, that sounded like the best idea ever. Now all she had to do was magically float up to her bed, away from the glass, and the missing Inuyasha, and the broken rosary and things would be all peaches and cream, just like her damn shampoo that he used up last night. Yup she should get right on that.

The clicking sound of the backdoor to the kitchen opening brought Kagome's attention back to reality. There he was, the cause of her morning misery, with eyes downcast and ears slightly flattened back.

Inuyasha seemed almost contrite.

"Kagome we can't waste all day." The words were not different from anything she had heard from him before, but there was an awkwardness to his tone of voice, and his eyes were not focused on her.

Kagome didn't answer, causing Inuyasha to lift his deep golden eyes to look at her. He seemed shocked by the sight of her, standing pathetically in sea of glass shards only in her stocking feet, with watery eyes, a reddening nose, and a single pale finger between her lips. His ears perked foreword as he took in the overall appearance of her.

"Uh, Kagome are you alright?"

He was approaching her, before she could pull her wounded digit from her mouth and deny any problem.

"No, I'm _fine_, I just knocked over a vase." She exclaimed, just as he arrived upon her.

His bare feet stepped onto a few a shards of glass, but he showed no signs of feeling it. Not liking the feeling of being caught in her own private misery, she attempted to step back, trying to find a bare enough patch of floor she could make it to. A clawed hand snatched her forearm halting her back pedaling, and then things happened very quickly.

"Hey! Let go!"

"You're going to get glass in your feet you idiot."

He kept pulling, and she kept pulling back. He grabbed hold of her by her upper arms, and started to haul her up. Kagome not wanting to be taken in his arms again, since that worked out so well before, moved her left foot back intending to step down, glass or not. However Inuyasha preempted this by snagging her under her left thigh, lifting her up one arm under her left thigh, the other arm under her back.

"Stopppppppppp!" She screeched, as she flailed and wriggled like a pet would, when being tucked up in the arms of a grabby five year old.

"Quick squirming!" He yelled, as he tried to get a better hold on her.

Her right foot flailed precariously over the glass laden floor, as she twisted in Inuyasha's arms. Finally he shoved her down, rather forcefully on the top of the table.

"Just sit down!" He gritted out.

Weary golden eyes met the wide brown ones. Black and silver hair was slightly disheveled, and Kagome's arms and legs sported red marks attesting to how hard he had to hold her to keep her from falling to the ground.

"Just sit there!" He bellowed again, as she made a move to jump off the table top.

"Don't yell at me!" She yelled with equal volume.

His ears twitched and lay back for a moment, as he took in her eyes still full of frustration, tears, and now anger. Kagome stayed on the table however, and Inuyasha continued to stare her down, daring her to make it off the edge. She didn't. He moved off and walked to the closest at the far end of the room. The awkwardness of the morning was creeping back on Kagome. She felt oddly exposed perched on her family's kitchen table. How pathetic was it that she had to be rescued in her own kitchen? And did Inuyasha need her, did he ever need o be rescued? No, why would he need her, when he could have the original. She was number two, the shard detector. She wasn't the other one…his lover.

Her eyes were stinging again. Inuyasha was yanking out a broom and dustpan, his extensive knowledge of the families cleaning supplies stemming from his inability to visit the shrine without causing some kind of domestic disaster. He was coming back over; she couldn't very well start sobbing in front of him, because the night before he had made her feel second rate, made her feel rejected. But then he was never hers, so how could she be rejected if it was never something she could have? It's just a crush, he mother would say, you'll grow out of it. She hastily sucked in a piece of her cheek and bit down on it hard. The stinging pain in her mouth was enough to keep the stinging out of her eyes, leaving only the feint moisture from earlier. Inuyasha crouched down and began to sweep the glass up.

"You know Kagome, this could only happen to you."

Maybe she could just kick him…his head was at foot level…

TT

Three hours later the two were well on their way in the Feudal era. They were making good time, but there was a silent discomfort so tangible between them, that it might has well have been a living breathing person. Finally it seemed Inuyasha had to speak, maybe to fill the black hole of silence that they had been walking in.

"That's it, Kagome get on my back this is taking too fucking long." Inuyasha grumbled, and then crouched in front of her, clearly expecting her to do it.

Kagome stopped. "No."

Inuyasha whirled on her. The three hours of walking apparently had not been done in companionable silence, but a silence filling up with all the things they were not saying. His eyes were a bright gold, a light with aggravation.

"What do you mean no?"

Those eyes were fierce, and for a moment Kagome wanted to say "just kidding," and forget the whole thing. But she wasn't made that way, not at the core at least.

"I mean I don't want to, I'm not going to." She tried to make her eyes as fierce, but she could tell it was not having any effect.

"What..is..your..problem?" He gritted out.

"Like you don't know!" She shouted back.

Her hands were curled into fists at her side and her body was so stiff she thought it might break. She would snap in half and just fall to the ground. What would Inuyasha have to say then?

"You know Kagome I don't know." His body was equally tight, and it seemed as though a flash a red reflected in his eyes. "I don't know because you're so fucking crazy that I have no idea what is it that set you off this time!"

Kagome felt her lip coil in a close approximation of a snarl. "I'm so fucking crazy am I? Then why stick around, there's nothing holding you here!" They were so close now that force of the yelling reverberated between them like a base cord.

"You know why don't you stop throwing that back at me Kagome! We don't have the time to deal with your issues! Dammit Kagome every fucking time shit gets bad with us you think I'm gonna run to Kikyo. I don't want to look for the shards with Kikyo. I never said I did" He seemed almost out of breath by the end, but Kagome new was he trying to do. He was trying to deflect her anger, and pretend it was about something else.

"That is not why I'm angry with you Inuyasha, and you know it!" She sucked in her lip to keep it from trembling.

She was so lost now somewhere between pissed and hurt. His face contorted in aguish for moment and then his features hardened again.

"I'm sorry." He said in a low tone. His eyes were unreadable and his eyes were cast suddenly to the ground.

"I'm sorry about this morning." The words were choking in his throat. "I'm sorry about my …issue, this morning. I didn't mean to make you feel _uncomfortable_." He pushed the words out but they were quite and raspy, as though his throat was tightening and trying to hold them in. Kagome stood shocked, he thought that she was so upset because he had morning wood? They learned that sort of thing was normal for young guys in middle school health class. Did he really think that was it?

"Inuyasha that is _not_ why I'm angry." She said in a level tone that held a hint of an edge.

His brow quirked, clearly he had thought that, that was the issue they had been skirting around. The three hour silent march was his attempt to avoid an embarrassing subject, that he was already beating himself up for.

"Then what?" He was lost now for the answer.

The very thought of what it was to fuel her anger brought Kagome right back to the root of that emotion, all the hurt and doubting rushed back over her. The tears began pushing persistently up in her eyes.

"You said her name." When had her voice become so hoarse?

"What?" Inuyasha's voice seemed hushed, his throat still tight and fighting with the words.

His pretend ignorance was infuriating. There it was again, the fiery anger that felt like it just wanted to leap out of her. Where was the necklace when she needed it?

"Kikyo, Inuyasha, you said her name! You said it as you held me in your sleep, you thought I was her!" Her voice was horse again, but this time it was from the screaming. The pain was overflowing now, dripping down her cheeks.

"You thought I was her." She added in a much quieter tone.

The anger was gone between them, and in its tyrannical wake it left a horrible replacement. Inuyasha had not moved, and he did not speak. His jaw did not even flinch with possible denials. Kagome began to furiously wipe at the moisture on her cheeks. He had nothing to say, and she was not going to stand there blubbering in front of him.

"I'm sorry," worked its way through his lips after what had felt an eternity.

Kagome scrubbed away the last of her salty tears and felt herself give him a short nod of acknowledgement. She felt compelled to nod to him, to say she knew his apology, for the same reasons he had felt compelled to apologize.

The two of them now had to try and crawl their way back from the ledge, or else their up and down friendship would fall over that edge and down into the dark unknown. He breathed in deep, and looked around, his eyes not focusing on any particular point.

"Alright Kagome, let's get going." He moved and crouched before her.

Kagome paused. If she climbed on his back they would never talked about this again. She wouldn't be able to find out if that was how…he really saw her.

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder, and he caught her eye. He looked worried, like he knew what she was thinking of asking. The words threatened to fly out of her mouth. He would be compelled to answer her this time; he would need to justify what he had said that morning.

He would be honest.

"Yeah let's go." She finally said, turning up her mouth in a cheerless smile. Maybe she was better off not knowing. At least that's what she told herself as she climbed on his back.


	6. Chapter 6

Every Dog Has His Day

Misheard Turned Mistake

Chapter 6

An: okay I know a lot of people are confused by the last chapter…don't panic…there are answers, lol, also I went through the previous chapters and fixed some spelling errors, and did a little work on chapter one…but nothing major was changed.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

TT

Kagome slumped against a tree. Her legs were sore from straddling Inuyasha's back for the last 4 hours. They had certainly made a lot of progress…

They were now on the edge of the western lands a fact that had not improved the feeling between the two.

_I wouldn't be surprised if he just left me here until he had the shard. Then came to pick me up when he was done…if at all. _

Kagome massaged at a particular tight knot in her back. Inuyasha was no way to travel for long periods of time. On a normal occasion it would have made her sore to travel like that for so long, but after what had transpired between them that afternoon, she held been stiff in his arms. Her body refused to relax the way she normally did when she was flying through the trees with him. It was just a continuation of a particularly bad day that was not ending. Her eyes drifted to the small path in the campsite that Inuyasha had exited through. He had said that he was going to catch something for dinner, but she really doubted he was off hunting anything, merely avoiding her. She wasn't particularly hungry anyway.

_But maybe he is hungry. Should I start a fire…_

Words that were said, that could not be unsaid were just flying through her head.

_Damn the stupid necklace for breaking. It ruined everything. None of this would have ever happened if that had not broken. Never._

She sighed loudly, and leaned over to drag her yellow bag to her. She may as well start a fire, and cook some ramen. Pulling a few necessary items from her bag she laid them out for later. Now for the tricky part. She began to ease herself up, and tired knotted muscles complained the whole way. Inuyasha better be thankful. It didn't take her long, she gathered a few dried pieces of fallen wood, some dried grass and soon a decent fire was flickering in the middle of their camp. Maybe she would just wait until Inuyasha got back to cook the ramen, who knew maybe he would bring back some game? Then it would just be weird that she heated up ramen. Not that he had ever turned ramen down… looking at the fire Kagome finally gave up deciding what to do next and sat back down.

Why wasn't he back yet?

Time passed very slowly. She had no one to talk to, she didn't want to do her homework. There was no test to study for. Well there was a test, but she had missed it…It now seemed like forever ago she had tried to sneak out of camp and run to well so she could take the stupid thing. What had she been thinking? The well was like the safe zone in a bizarre game of tag? If she could get there Inuyasha couldn't bring her back to the feudal era for one whole day.

Kagome shook the mental image she had of herself laughing childishly while waving her finger at Inuyasha, as she stood atop the well. That would be fun though. But it kinda did work like that didn't it? If she made it to the well, and Inuyasha tried to stop her she would just sit him until he relented. He relented mostly for fact that he wasn't actually a masochist. But she couldn't do that now.

"Err.." She groaned and leaned back on the tree again. It was all too frustrating. And where the hell was he?

Taking a random twig from the ground she tossed it into the fire.

Maybe he had abandoned her?

She tossed another twig into the flickering heat.

Maybe he just didn't want to deal with her anymore.

She grabbed another branch and tossed it in.

Maybe he was with Kikyou, and laughing about how stupid she was, and they were going to run off without her, and Shippou and Sango and Miroku and even Kirara were going to like Kikyou better and they were all going to laugh behind her back and leave her alone because they really never needed her to begin with, and then …

Kagome blinked rapidly as the roaring heat of the now blazing fire hit her face.

Maybe she needed to stop thinking like a crazy person. And stop putting sticks in the fire…

It was really big, and the hot red flames were flicking upward rather high.

It was good heat though, the chill that was seeping in from the setting sun was now pleasantly gone.

Kagome leaned into the tree, finding particular comfortable place. She stared at the fire for an indeterminate amount of time, but slowly her eyelids began to feel heavy.

_His arms were tightly wrapped around her, and as she tried to roll away from him, his grip only tightened. Kagome was left mesmerized by the sheer feeling of strength in his arms. There was no give whatsoever, in those steel bands. She felt like she couldn't breathe in too deep, because the pressure wouldn't allow it._

_"Inuyasha." She whispered._

_She wasn't sure what was worse at this point, lying there with him, or waking him up and having to deal with his reaction. Though it wasn't all that bad, his arms were warm and strong around her, and when she breathed in she smelt peaches and cream…hmm someone has been using her shampoo again. He began to stir, at the sound of her voice. Inuyasha mumbled something into her hair, and apparently decided that waking up was not what he wanted to do, and instead burrowed his face further into her back. Kagome's heart just about jumped up her throat as his face pressed into the bare skin of her neck. She felt his smooth lips rest there, and warm puffs of air escape the slightly parted mouth. Electrical tingles began to crawl across her skin. She knew that she was probably flushed. Heat was just cascading through her. Her cheeks were warm, her head felt a little light, and butterflies were going crazy in her stomach._

_Was it wrong for her to enjoy a moment like this? Inuyasha probably didn't even know who it was he was so intimately pressed into. What if it was someone else he dreamt of?_

_Kikyou._

_Kikyou, it sounded like he had said it. But the lips against her neck had not moved. The words…the words they came from her mind…oh god, they were the words his voice said in her head. What she had imagined he would say. He hadn't said it. He hadn't said it!_

_But that meant that…_

"Kagome."

Her eyes flew open and her head jerked back against the tree violently.

Inuyasha stood in front of her looking puzzled by her reaction.

"Uh Kagome, you ok?" He sort of reluctantly stepped towards her. She had her hand on the back of her head and was waving him off even as he approached.

Holy shit, he hadn't said Kikyou.

Did she talk in her sleep? She hoped not…Kagome had her bottom lip sucked in tight between her teeth. Her hand was still clapped on the back of her aching head.

"I'm fine Inuyasha…Really."

Should she confess right now? Should she just tell him everything and hope he could forgive her, and not think that she is some weird psychotic bitch. Because god knows there were enough women like that running around this era.

Inuyasha didn't seem convinced by her assertion at being fine. Her hand was still on the back of head.

"Kagome, let me see." He crouched down beside her. Kagome who had been lost in her inner argument snapped back to reality, as Inuyasha removed her hand from the back her head and began to feel around.

Great now he thought she had a head injury. His gentle ministrations eventually reached the epicenter of her pain.

"Ow!" She yelled. She was just as surprised by her outburst as he was apparently. He halted his movement, and looked her.

Maybe she did have a head injury. He pulled his hands back, and moved off giving her back her space.

"You have a bump back there, it will probably be pretty big tomorrow." He looked awkward for moment and seemed to be thinking.

This would normally be the point where he would throw in some comment about her being stupid for slamming the back of her own head into a tree, but he seemed to be holding back. She reached back and felt for the bump. Sure enough there it was, all angry and throbbing. She kind of deserved it. She had made such a big thing of what she thought he had said this morning…and he didn't even say it. How could she tell him?

"Oh …yeah I guess I was sleeping…and…" She didn't even finish her sentence. Her thoughts were more centered on what she didn't want to say.

She had to tell him right? It would be wrong not to. It would make her some kind of awful liar.

"Look Kagome, I know I already said it…but I'll say it again, I'm sorry" He was looking at her again, with eyes unwavering.

He really meant it. That only made it worse.

"No Inuyasha…you don't have to say that, I really blew things out of proportion…"

"No, I know that it hurts you…to be compared to Kikyou, and Kagome I know you're not her, I don't…I don't think you are her,…or some imitation of her." He was stumbling through the lines, like he was some unrehearsed actor.

Then it hit her. He had rehearsed this. He had planned this out, all that time he was gone…he was trying to find a way to better apologize? She wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere. He was looking at her; still half crouch a little ways away, waiting for her reaction. She could just blurt it out; tell him her mistake, just like ripping off a bandage. It wasn't fair to let him think that he had hurt her so much, when it was her own subconscious that did the damage.

"Inuyasha, you don't need to apologize…but I …I'm glad that you don't think of me as an imitation of her. But there's something I need to tell you…"

Inuyasha sighed, like some deep breath he had been holding was finally allowed to be released..

"Look Kagome, you're my friend, and I don't like hurting you, so I'm sorry, and let's just forget the whole thing happened okay?"

Kagome was left her lips still parted, her guilt about to be spilled. Let's just forget the whole thing happened? Could she just not tell him? He looked at her, his eyes guarded but hopeful. He just wanted to put whole thing behind them. So wasn't it for the best not to tell him? "Yeah Inuyasha lets just forget the whole thing." _And hope that the guilt doesn't eat away_ _at my soul_, she added silently. He seemed to take a moment, to breathe, clear his head, maybe he was just staring off into to space, who knew?

"Um Inuyasha, do you want me to make some ramen?"

"Feh, what do you think wench?"

Okay maybe things could be normal.

"Don't call me that you jerk!" She halfheartedly tossed a stick at his leg. He only smirked.

Kagome moved back over to her backpack, where she had already taken out the things she would need to boil the ramen. As she went about putting the pot in the holder she felt the weight of someone looking at her. She slowly raised her eyes just in time to see Inuyasha glancing away. The ramen didn't take long, and soon she was serving a large portion to Inuyasha, and a more reasonable one for herself. Kagome took her steaming bowl in her hands and scooted back to her tree. Suddenly Inuyasha was crowding into her space, his own ramen bowl in his hand. He finally situated himself beside her, his back sharing her tree.

"Inuyasha?"

He had some ramen already in his mouth but he cast her a sideways glance. She watched him methodically chew, and then swallow, before he answered.

"Pheh, you know you have the best spot."

It was true, all the other trees were probably too small to lean up against comfortably. But still, he had decided to come sit beside her, his knee grazing hers, and his shoulder seemingly perfectly comfortable to rest against her shoulder. It was nice and …intimate almost, the two of them alone like this. If she wasn't feeling so guilty she might have enjoyed it even more.

Even still, it was really for the best that she not tell him. He would be so mad. At least that's what she kept telling herself. They ate in a semi-comfortable silence, but eventually they were done with their food. It was still too early to go right to sleep.

"Inuyasha, do you think that Sango and Miroku are ok?"

Inuyasha set his bowl down, and reclined against the tree.

"Yeah, if Sango hasn't killed him, their fine." He said while rubbing his now stuffed stomach.

Kagome put her empty bowl done as well.

"Well that's kind of what I meant. I mean I think that they really do like each other, its Miroku's lechery that is standing in the way."

She looked at Inuyasha patiently waiting for his response. This was good, they were moving on to a safe neutral topic.

"Yeah, I guess so. He makes a crappy holy man, but then again I think she kind of likes it."

If Kagome's face could have twisted anymore into an expression of disbelief it would have.

"Yeah, she enjoys it so much that she slaps him silly." Kagomes voice dripped with sarcasm.

Inuyasha looked at her and shrugged. "Yeah but that's all she does. What do you think she would do if a stranger did that? He wouldn't be able to get up. Sango is a strong woman, If she really wanted Miroku to stop, she could make him."

Kagome took the new information in. She was surprised by the insight that Inuyasha had on the topic. It was true, Sango was a formidable woman. So why would she subject herself to unwanted attention?

" I don't think she likes his approach though. I mean I think your right, that the only reason he can get away with it, is because there is something between them, but he's going about it all wrong. I think she would be open to him if he would just learn to keep his hands to himself."

"And off other women." Inuyasha added.

"Yeah why does he do that?" Kagome asked in earnest. Inuyasha's eyebrows knit for moment as he looked at her.

"Because he's a letch, we already decided that."

Kagome brushed off the non-answer.

"No I mean it. If he likes Sango, why would he go after other women?" Kagome had now shifted; she was up on her knees facing Inuyasha. "Wouldn't he just want to be with her, or is one woman not enough…or" She trailed off by the bewildered expression on Inuyasha's face.

"I dunno what the monk is thinking…" He eyed Kagome wearily as he continued. "Maybe one isn't enough for him…"

Kagome stared at him unblinking.

Inuyasha swallowed hard.

They were falling back into bad territory.

"Yeah I'm done talking about this mushy shit." He said refusing to meet her large eyes again.

"Yeah." She agreed in a quieter voice.

What was she going to do, bring up Kikyou again; she had already made a mistake there. If she ever brought Kikyou up again, she would have to confess, yeah that's what she would have to do.

"Let's talk about something else." Kagome said, while she moved to lean back against the tree once more, this time being a little more careful that they didn't brush against one another.

Her voice held a fake note of cheeriness, but Inuyasha decided that, that was better than the alternatives.

"What are we going to talk about?"

Kagome bit her lip. That was catch wasn't it?

"Um, what do you guys talk about when I'm gone?" She finally asked, having found no better topic, no fully safe topics anyway.

Inuyasha seemed stumped by the question. It couldn't be that hard of a question to answer, could it?

"Mostly they try and convince me not to drag you back through the well, you know because you get so pissy about that."

She fought the urge to smack her own hand over her face.

"Do they really?" She asked dryly.

Inuyasha shrugged.

"Pretty much."

Silence surrounded them for beat. Kagome was pretty sure she could hear two squirrels getting into a fight up in the tree tops.

"What do you talk about with…that pack of females, in the future?"

Kagome was surprised that he was the first to speak

"Um, a lot of things. Shopping, movies…they tell me about boys they like. They talk to me about setting me up with Hojou." Kagome smirked at that. Her friends wanted to set her up with Hojou because they thought "her bad boy boyfriend," wasn't good for her.

Inuyasha's head swiveled ever so slowly to look at her straight on. Kagome's inner laughter died.

"Why do they want you to be…courted, by that useless weakling? Inuyasha eyes were narrowed a little, and his voice was colder, Kagome was lost for moment by his reaction.

"Oh, well, I don't know, maybe they think I need a boyfriend?" She ventured, still mesmerized by the liquid gold of his eyes. He looked kind of intense.

"And do you want to be courted by him?"

He looked so serious.

"Um…no, don't get me wrong Hojou's nice, and courteous and respectful, and he brings me gifts because he's so thoughtful, and he is cute…maybe I should go on a date with him." Kagome had wandered off in her own head at some point when she was talking.

Inuyasha brought his hand up in front of her face, and wave it twice.

"Hey quit fantasizing over there." He said gruffly.

Kagome blinked.

"Oh I wasn't fantasizing…I was just imagining what it would be like to go on a date with him."

Kagome made a face.

"Yeah he's not for me."

Inuyahsa considered her for moment.

"Yeah, whatever." He folded his arms, but Kagome couldn't help but notice the hard look on his face had softened a bit.

Kagome yawned suddenly; she barely managed to cover her mouth.

Glancing at Inuyasha she kind of gave him a shrug.

"I guess I'm going to go to bed."

It was for the best. It seemed like the two of them talking was like trying to make a run over an emotional mind field.

Kagome grabbed her sleeping bag, and unfolded it between the still burning fire and the big tree Inuyasha was leaning against.

She glanced up at him as she moved to undo the zipper.

"Are you sleeping in that tree tonight?"

He glanced up the tree, at a good sized branch that he would normally rest in.

"No I think I'll stay here."

Kagome looked at him surprised. He never slept on the ground with them. Never

Well maybe if he was injured, but being unconscious didn't count.

"How come?" She blurted out. She didn't want him to think that she didn't want him sleeping down here with her, but she still wanted to know.

Inuyasha just made a face to suggest that it was for whatever reason.

"With my luck, if I left you down here alone an army of ants would carry you off or something like that."

Kagome was about to admonish him for stupidity, when she considered the probability of what he said.

Centipede people had tried to kill her, demon wasps had tried to kill her…was an army of ants carrying her off really that idiotic of suggestion? Sadly no.

"You don't have to; I'm fine down here alone…" She gave him a small smile. "But thank you."

"Just go to sleep and quit looking at me like that." Kagome giggle out load as she realized she had been smiling at him, grateful for the small things he did for her.

She settled into her sleeping bag, and turned towards the fire. Inuyasha was going to behind her the whole night leaning again that tree.

It was awful, his being considerate of her only made the fact that she hadn't told him, about the whole not saying Kikyou worse.

She would have to make it up to him somehow.


	7. Chapter 7

Every Dog Has His Day

Every Dog Has His Day

Of Love and Bad Mornings

Chapter 7

TT

Sango chewed her food while glancing over at the very content monk. He was exasperating.

After exorcising an ominous dark cloud hanging over the village, the village leader was so thankful for the monk's help that he offered dinner to everyone and place to stay the night.

Ominous black cloud her foot.

As they finished their meals, Sango began to feel the anxious butterflies rise in her stomach once more. She had stamped them down on their journey, but in truth she couldn't make them go away.

She had yet to really talk to Miroku about what had happened with the whole fruit incident.

As a side note, she was sure to listen to him next time he was wary of food. She had felt like she had been stuck in one of those awful dreams where you wake up embarrassed by your own lurid thoughts.

And the village women, she had heard them talking about it. The fruit only intensifies a person's desire. It only lowers their inhibitions. This would mean…

Crap.

She could argue with herself, most of the time, that she was not really attracted to that..that lech…

But how could she argue with something she had already admitted too?

Well she admitted to it by throwing herself at him under the influence of some very strange and horrible fruit…but still.

Oh by everything that is holy in this world, she couldn't get the picture of her pushing herself up against him in the bath out her head.

Her hands had glided over chest. The light muscling of his pectoral muscles were slick from the steam rising up from the bath.

Her own body had both tightened and relaxed at the feel of him when she pressed into him. Something warmed had whirled around in her stomach, it had felt…amazing. Like her whole body was getting ready to explode and melt at he same time.

"Hey Sango."

"Sango?"

Shippou waved his small clawed hand in front of her glazed far away eyes several times.

It took a moment but then the light could be seen coming back, and she blinked rapidly before focusing on the kit.

"Oh, Shippou did you need something?' She asked politely, schooling her tone to not betray the raging embarrassment flooding her system.

Her cheeks however were red and giving her away in spite.

"Um, nothing Sango, but you looked kind of like you were sleeping with your eyes open. That's really creepy."

"No, I was not asleep, I was just thinking…" Her blush would not fade, and she ducked her head allowing her bangs to shade her eyes.

"Oh, well ok then." Shippou stepped away and went back to his place on the floor near Kirara. Adults were a continually unfolding mystery to him.

"Sango are you feeling well? You face is flushed, I hope that your not feeling ill?" Despite the carefully worded sentence meant to show caring, Sango could here the mirth hidden in the Monks voice.

That jerk was mocking her. She was sure he had more than a hunch about what she was thinking.

His head was always leaning towards the perverse, so one could assume he would be able to tell when someone else had their head in the gutter.

"I'm fine monk." Her clipped tone did not stunt the monks amusement. In fact a small grin split his face.

"I'm going outside to get some air." Sango announced and got up quite quickly. The man was insufferable.

The remaining occupants of the room watched her go, but only one was aware of her reasons for leaving.

Sanog breathed in deeply as she stepped out of the room. Her nerves needed to settle. Her body still felt like it was hyperaware.

The blush still warmed her cheeks, and the memories of her day dreaming still had tingles crawling about her skin.

She just needed to calm her betraying thoughts and then she could go back in.

Sango seated herself gracefully at the edge of the porch.

There was a cool air coming down from the mountain and she felt the refreshing breeze deep in her lungs.

For a moment she could feel her nerves settle, and her tense and tired muscles relax. Being around Miroku all that time had kept her tense, and now her body was paying for it.

The quiet sounds of the surrounding forest ere comforting, and she was glad to have this peace, before finding herself under the ever observant eye of Miroku.

It lasted only a few minutes before her peace was disrupted.

The monk just couldn't let it go.

"Beautiful night." He said offhandedly.

He knew neither of them really cared about the weather at the moment. Perhaps if they were sleeping without a roof over their heads, then they might give it a little more consideration.

"Yes, it is." She returned with all the interest feigned, that he had pretended to have.

There was beat of silence, but Sango knew that he would be the one to break it. He had obviously come out here to say something.

"Sango, were you ever going to tell me how you felt?"

…

Sango hesitated for moment. She had truly not considered that he might be so foreword. He was really getting straight to the point.

No playful innuendo or joking, he was being serious.

Her throat choked with denial, someway not to walk down this dangerous path. But the truth crept out, and with it, its companion of bitterness.

"How could I say anything to you Miroku, when you chase every girl who bats an eyelash at you?"

She felt him grow quiet, the way he does before answering carefully, but she continued.

"I will not be like those girls Miroku." She spoke calmly, just above a whisper.

She heard the long exhale of air from his longs. It was the first sign that he had decided on what to say.

"Sango you could not possibly be like one of those girls as you say, you are like no girl I have ever met before."

His words let something flutter through her.

"You mean more to me Sango, than any of those women ever could."

His calm and sure words were uttered with such certainty that it seemed there was no doubt in his mind about it.

Her heart was tightening with emotion… right before he stomped it flat.

"But I can not love you as woman."

Sango swallowed forcibly. She had thought on it before. She was not a very acceptable woman.

"You are my companion in battle, and a comrade."

She was a warrior. She was raised to fight alongside men, not be the demure wife and mother.

But it still hurt so much to hear him say that, to have him acknowledge her shortcomings.

"I understand, it's not like I thought you were in love with me." Sango bit her tongue viciously to stop the tears from flowing, and stop the sob in her throat.

"I have to go now." She stood quickly, her heart was breaking and she couldn't stop the tears for long.

"Sango wait." He shifted suddenly, opening his body to her direction.

"You did not let me finish."

Sango did not move, but there was part of her that just wanted to run. She wanted to get as far away from here as she could. She just needed a moment to herself. What more could he possibly have to say?

"Sango, when this is finished, when Naraku is defeated…" He paused. "If I survive and the curse is taken from me, I would like you to live with me and bare my children."

He seemed for the first time speaking to her that night, to have a slight unsure ness to his voice. As if he feared her rejection.

Sango felt the air hitch in throat. She turned her head to look at him quickly, and the movement caused the pooling tears in her eyes to fall down her cheeks.

"Miroku…" She searched for the words, but her mind was drawing a blank.

The monk reached up and took hold of one of her hands, gently guiding her to sit beside him again.

"When all our troubles are behind us, would you do me this honor?"

"Y..es." She choked out, as more tears made their way down the already wet lines of her face.

Miroku smiled a small smile, the kind given to someone to make them feel cherished.

He raised his hands to her face, and began to wipe away the tears, with the pads of his thumbs.

"I'm glad, Sango." He took her face in his hands, taking in the delicate structure. She seemed too small, too pretty to be the fierce fighter that he knew she was.

She was a creature of contradictions. A fact he found wholly endearing.

Slowly he leaned into her; her large brown eyes stayed looking into his. She did not pull away, and he pressed his lips onto hers. This was their first real kiss, devoid of any drugging effects.

It was better then any of the fumbling attempts the pink fruit had elicited.

He captured her bottom lip and pressed firmly. Never again would they deny what was between them.

Sango copied his slow and patient movements. She was terrified he could feel her heart beating furiously within her chest.

He kissed her until she felt dizzy with the emotions it gave life to.

When he finally pulled away she was breathless and blushing. His hands stayed to either side of her face, that same small smile still playing across his lips.

She was beautiful like this.

It seemed almost cruel that he had already made his mind up, that nothing could happen between them until their quest was complete.

He had not been lying when he had said he could not love her as a woman. He could not let them loose themselves so much in their affection for one another that they would lose sight of the task at hand. Naraku had to be taken down before all else.

Before he could lay her down in his bed, that evil would have to be destroyed.

Before she could bare his children, he would have to know they would not suffer the same curse as he did.

So instead he pulled her towards himself

Though he longed to feel her skin on his, to be able to touch the flesh that he had only touched through layers of clothe, for now this would have to do.

Sango seemed content to sit in his arms, wearing a heavy blush.

She was not knowledgeable about the ways of men and women. For her, being held in his arms was a new experience. This was a new level of intimacy she had never reached with a man. For him, having had more experience it was almost maddening to sit serenely with her, drawing small circles on the calloused palm of her hand. He cared more for her then any other woman he had ever been intimate with.

Now looking back on those experiences they seemed cheap like poorly worked pieces, of what should have been fine jewelry.

Pulling her more fully against him, he found forcing her confession had opened the flood gate of his own emotions. The feelings of friendship, affection and a healthy mix of attraction were running rampant through him. He had known he harbored these feelings for the demon exterminator. For some time he had considered her to be only woman he could live with and raise children with. But the constant threat of Naraku, and his own limited time, with the growing hole in his hand had caused him to remain silent.

That blessed fruit however, for all the trouble it caused, it had forced his hand.

He could not allow her to think that her affections and desires towards him were not reciprocated. It would have been a cruel deception.

Miroku leaned into her, as she tucked herself completely into the nook of his side.

The softness of her hair, as he laid his chin on her head was its own seduction.

She had a light smell of wild flowers, and he was infinitely aware of the flat stomach that his long fingers rested against as his unoccupied hand held her waist. One thing was for sure, if Naraku's curse didn't end up killing him, surely having this woman love him, but not being able to act on it would.

TT

Kagome was only partly awake. Annoyingly nature had come calling and she was trying to now convince her bladder, just five more minutes. Her alarm clock was easier to sway.

Eventually she hit the moment of no return. Grudgingly, she threw back her warm sleeping bag.

The chill of the night time air hit her like a ton of bricks. If her bladder wasn't about to float away with her, she would have tucked that blanket right back around herself and gone to sleep again until the air was a more reasonable summer temp.

As she stood she felt the goose bumps rise on her skin. Turning around she could see Inuyasha still leaned against the tree, arms folded and head down.

True to what he said he was still on the ground with her.

She was really going to have to be nice to him, and try and make up for lying to him about Kikyou. Even now she felt the urge to wake him up and tell him everything, just so she could have a clear conscience. But that would just start their fighting all over again. If she could just make it up to him some other way, then it would make it ok.

And if she kept telling herself that…maybe it would become true.

Shaking off her guilty pangs started to move past him.

Kagome took a step toward an opening in the clearing, when she realized with a groan, she should probably grab a new tampon.

Glancing at the sleeping half demon she decided that he wasn't going to suddenly spring to life and question what she was looking for in her bag. She crouched down and shoved her hand in to the bulging bag, seeking out the plastic wrapped cylinder.

For a moment she had the awful fear that maybe Inuyasha had gone through her bag and thrown them out.

Finally finding it, she clenched it in her fist and began to creep by Inuyasha.

She was almost past him when it happened.

A clawed hand shot out of no where and grabbed on tight to her ankle.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked, his head still down as if he were asleep. That sneaky bastard.

Inuyasha!" She screeched. "Don't scare me like that." She jerked at her ankle but he would not release her.

"Don't try to sneak out of camp at night." He pulled at her ankle, putting her off balance. He yanked a little harder and she was up hopping on one foot.

"IN..uu …yyashhaaaaa!" She was waving her arms around and trying to regain balance. The hanyou still wouldn't let her put her other foot down.

She eventually landed in heap beside him. He was looking at her impassively. Clearly he had intended her to land on her butt.

Killing him was a wonderfully tempting option.

"What the hell did you do that for you ass!"

He merely shrugged.

"You weren't answering me." He said, as though putting her on her ass was the most logical rebuttal for a slow answer.

Kagome's face screwed up in annoyance.

"I have to go pee!"

He quirked an eyebrow, and then glanced at her closed fist, the one holding the tampon.

"What's this?" And like the paranoid guy he was, he grabbed at her hand determined to discover what it was she was hiding from him

Kagome realized a second too late what he was getting at; as she tried to jerk her hand back he snatched it.

She continued to struggle and try and twist her fist away, but to avail.

"Its…none…of your….business."

Unfortunately she could not come close to matching his strength. He pulled her arm over, and turned it so it was facing closed palm up. Then he pressed the pressure point of her wrist, causing her fingers to unclench.

Plucking the object from her hand he held it up quickly for inspection.

Kagome's jaw was dropped, in both shock, embarrassment, as well as the audacity of him.

"Kagome?" There was a definite curiosity in his voice now.

"Give that back!" She swiped at it, but he calmly avoided her grabbing hand.

"This isn't one of those…things, is it?" He tilted the object one way, then another.

Kagome was seething.

"Kagome…" He looked at her sharply.

"Is this one of those things that you put…."

Kagome slammed her hand over his mouth. She grabbed at the tampon again, this time he didn't pull it away.

"Don't even say it Inuyasha." She warned seriously, and then proceeded to rise and head off into the woods.

"Oh Kagome, what did I tell you about putting things up there!"

The growl that rumbled its way out of her throat was impressive.

"Inuyasha if you still had the prayer beads I wouldn't need to use the spell, I would just strangle you with them!"

Inuyasha wisely did not respond to her retreating form.

Inuyasha sat restlessly against the tree, awaiting her return. He didn't really like her wandering away at night.

It was a feeling that stemmed from the fact that she had audacity to get almost killed every time she stepped out of his line of sight. That and the fact that the rest of the time she tended to run off towards home, or get kidnapped by bastard wolves, who have no fucking business taking off with her…

Inuyasha was still sitting arms folded, looking like he was trying to look, not as if he was impatiently awaiting her return, when she trudged her way back out of the brush.

He was well aware that she was there but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge that. Instead he kept his arm tightly folded and his eyes down, feigning sleep once more.

"Inuyasha?"

He did not answer.

"Inuyasha?" This time she spoke a little louder.

He still did not answer, but as she bent to his ear level and sucked back, ready to unleash a painful yell into his sensitive ear, he whipped his head around.

"Don't even think about it."

Kagome let out the breath and air and gave him a cattish smile. Shrugging her shoulders at him she moved to sit beside him.

"Inuyasha, did you sleep down here because you thought that I would try and leave in the middle of the night?"

He glanced at her sideways.

"And what if I did?"

She considered him for a moment.

"You can trust me Inuyasha. The only reason I have to sneak away at night, is when I tell you I have to go home, and you try and stop me."

Inuyasha grunted a non-committal reply, but he did reach down and grab her sleeping bag and haphazardly toss it toward her.

Kagome tugged the blanket over her chilly legs instantly.

"I'm sorry." He said, even though he had a look of confusion on his face, as though he was not sure of why he was apologizing.

Kagome turned to look at him.

"Um…"

He cut her off.

"I'm sorry I …embarrassed you with your…female things."

Kagome didn't respond right away. Inuyasha chanced a glance back at her.

Bam!

A handful of pinecones hit him in face.

"You are such idiot sometimes." Kagome huffed, without any malice in her voice.

She settled down pulling the blanket up higher on her body, and seemed perfectly content to let the whole matter drop.

Inuyasha looked at her wearily, but returned to his sleeping pose. Kagome laid her head on his shoulder soon after.

TT

Kagome was painfully aware of the fact that she had spent the majority of the night sitting against a tree.

Her neck had a crick in it, there was bark imprints on her back, and her butt was numb.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she could feel that Inuyasha was no longer beside her.

It took a few moments for her eyes to focus, and as she looked out blearily into their little campsite she was struck at the odd sight of what looked like two Inuyashas…

What….Uh oh…

"Shesshomaru" Inuyasha growled his sword already drawn.

"Put the sword away you fool, I have no need to fight someone so weak." Sesshomaru said in a tone that lacked any emotion.

Kagome groaned.

This was a terrible way to wake up in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

Every Dog Has His Day

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 8

Of Rude Awakenings and Awkward Afternoons

TT

"Inuyasha what is going on?" Kagome asked as she stumbled to her feet, nearly tripping herself in her own sleeping bag

Inuyasha ignored her question, in favor of keeping his full attention on his kin.

Despite the glinting sword pointed threateningly in his direction, Sesshomaru had yet to draw his own weapon Kagome noticed, allowing a smidge of hope to slow her frantically beating heart.

The Western Lord's body was alert, not exactly tense, and Kagome was sure his one arm was about to reach for the hilt of his sword the moment Inuyasha moved.

What was Sesshomaru talking about; he said he didn't come to fight? What could he possible want from them? He seemed to despise them both. Well actually she had never really seen him acknowledge her much; accept for that time she pulled the sword out of the stone. That had kind of ticked him off…

"What the fuck do you mean you didn't come here to fight? You want to chat Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha called snidely, his lip practically curling over.

Kagome inched up closer behind Inuyasha, stepping awkwardly in her stalking clad feet over her mess of pots and various items that had been displaced from her traveling bag. She winced harshly as she caught a toe on what appeared to be her trigonometry book.

Stumbling up closer behind Inuyasha, she could only imagine the annoyance she was causing him, his brother however did not even spare a glance at her, mercifully so.

Sesshomaru remained impassive. "Welp, if you ever thought to do more then rush in sword drawn you would learn that there is more to be done slash away at your enemies."

Kagome laid a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, if he didn't come to fight maybe you should listen to what he has to say." Then in a lower voice she added. "We need to get into the Western lands to find the shard."

Inuyasha shrugged her hand off; she could see him thinking about what she said. It caused a look a tension to cross his face, like he smelled something bad or Kouga just showed up. Clearly putting down the sword and talking to his brother was a nearly painful option for him.

Without lowering the sword Inuyasha ground out his answer. "You want to talk then talk."

In a blur of movement, Sesshomaru disappeared from sight, only to reappear sword drawn. With one swift par Inuyasha's sword was knocked from his grip. The Tetsusaiga flew up through the air only to fall spinning, and imbed itself in ground.

The sword immediately transformed back to its less impressive form. Kagome gasped and her grip on Inuyasaha's arm unconsciously tightened. Sesshomaru's sword had been so fast that all she had felt was the breeze as he struck Inuyasha's sword from him.

"This Sesshomaru does not take orders from you pup." Though Sesshomaru was directing his words towards Inuyasha, his eyes did travel to the miko behind his brother.

His calculating gold eyes did not miss the familiar way they associated with one another. Her hand was on the younger demons shoulder, and her body leaned towards his. Inuyasha had shifted ever so slightly to put the girl more fully behind himself.

The pup was so obvious it was painful.

Sesshomaru's notice of Kagome, was not missed by Inuyasha. His teeth ground together in annoyance.

"Pheh, if you got something to say, say it or get lost." Inuyasha was not about to let his brother think he had the upper hand. Even if they did need at least a small portion of his cooperation.

There was imperceptible electricity to the air. Kagome felt the hair on her arms prickle, as the energy shifted over her skin.

The brothers were going to be in fight any moment now. Kagome's eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to decide whether or not that flick of red in Sesshomaru's eyes was real or a figment of her imagination.

Now would be a good time for her to intervene.

"Lord Sesshomaru." She addressed him. She could hear Inuyasha's disgruntled sound of annoyance, but the Lord of the West casually shifted his gaze to meet hers. Seeing that she had his attention she continued.

"We are searching for a jewel shard that we sense, coming from the direction of your castle."

There was tension in her body that wouldn't allow her to speak normally. She was painfully aware of how young and just a little squeaky her voice sounded.

She could never get completely comfortable with talking to people who would potentially want to kill her. And funny she had all kinds of practice too…

The sharp eyes of the Lord remained as impassive as ever, but there seemed to be something going on behind them. Sesshomaru was taking in what she had said.

"You will come with me." He said is with all the seriousness that could be associated with his character.

Kagome's mouth dropped open a tiny bit. "Um, me?' She questioned pointing a finger towards herself. Come on she could not be kidnapped by a demon today…

Inuyasha was already growling, before Sesshomaru responded.

The Lord of the West made a mild expression of annoyance.

"Both of you." He answered.

TT

Sango felt the heat in her cheeks. As much as she wished to blame it on the sun high in the late morning sky, she couldn't blame this particular feeling on the weather. Each time she glanced at her traveling companion she felt the heat flood her face, and crawl around in her stomach. Last night they had slept a respectful distance from one another. Not far away, but not close enough so that she could feel the heat of his body. She had fought with herself long into the night. If she just rolled over and closed that distance she could have basked in his warmth, his touch…

The blush was back again.

It was all his fault. Before he had bid her goodnight he had leaned in and kissed her deeply, letting his tongue glide over her lips. She has parted her own mouth in surprise, only to find him deepening the kiss further, his tongue caressed hers, and his large palm caressed the back of her head preventing her from backing away. As he finically pulled away she felt breathless. Her heart thundered in her chest, and he just stared down at her.

His eyes were dark, and he looked like a demon ready to devour her. And then he said goodnight just like that. It was like he had set her skin on fire and then just walked away.

"Sango, you look like your deep in thought."

Dammit, she was blushing again. She eyed the monk almost accusingly, like he fully knew what she was thinking and was now mocking her.

Which was silly, because clearly he wasn't a mind reader…

Did he just wink at her?

She wished she could just smack him. It would be a bit of normalcy in an emotionally draining day. But smacking the man who's your intended is just in poor taste, now isn't it?

"Miroku," Sango began, completely ignoring his question. "How much further do you think the village is?"

He seemed to grin momentarily at her obvious dodging of his question.

"It should be beyond these mountains. We could be there by nightfall if we keep up the pace."

Sango nodded. That was good; maybe they could be back with Kagome and Inuyasha by tomorrow night. Being alone with Miroku as her only company was stressing. He made her feel like she was constantly nervous. Her stomach felt like it had hundreds of butterflies beating at its walls. It would be a nice break to have Kagome and Inuyasha to speak to. To have their bickering break up the tension that was running between her and the monk.

Sango inhaled sharply as a hand caressed the delicate line of her jaw. Her wide brown eyes shot to Miroku's violet ones. He gave her a brief smile, before dropping his hand from her face. He really was going to undo her. She needed Kagome. That is what she needed. The girl may be younger but she came from a world where the attraction between a man and woman was much discussed and less hidden behind closed doors and not just whispered about in public bath houses.

Miroku turned and moved past her, leaving Sango extremely aware of the heat of his skin as his hand grazed her arm as he went. A type of frustration and longing was building in her, which she could not contain or begin to understand.

TT

Miles away…

Kagome strode casually behind Sesshomaru, keeping a certain distance from his side. Even following him to his home, with an open invitation, he still seemed dangerous. He was all points. Sharp claws peeked from his one hand. The sun glinted off his murderous looking armor, and two not so innocent looking swords lay safely in their hilts strapped meaningfully at his waist.

He was all points and all of them screamed danger! Don't touch, might get dead.

A fact that did not seem lost on his brother, who trailed only a step or two behind her. Even though she could not see him, she could practically here the gritting of his teeth. She knew without a doubt that if she were to turn around she would find his hand close to the hilt of his sword.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had an intense and strange relationship. There was so much resentment on both sides. And yet…

Kagome could find herself questioning sometimes the animosity that Sesshomaru had for his brother. He had spared his brother's life before, when the demon half had overcome Inuyasha. Maybe, maybe with this visit to castle of West she could begin to unravel the reason for their feud.

It seems so senseless in reality. They are brothers, sons of the Western lord, prideful and arrogant both, unwilling to yield to one another, which may be the root of their problem.

If Inuyasha yielded to his brothers will, well then who knows, maybe there would be a very different relationship.

But that would never happen. And not that she would want him to, it was merely a what if…

What was that word…Alpha, that was it. Both brothers were alpha, most defiantly.

"You will act appropriately in this Sesshomaru's home."

Kagome, whose eyes had been staring off into the distance as they walked, blinked rapidly and stared at the Lords back. Did he think they were going to misbehave like schoolchildren on fieldtrip?

"The guests of the house of the West will not tolerate insolence. Their patience I assure you is far thinner then mine."

Kagome slowed. Was he suggesting that he was patient? She heard a snort from behind her, which suggested Inuyasha was equally doubtful.

"Since when do you have _guests_, you cold bastard?" Inuyasha, despite his compliance in this so far, had still not given up the resistant attitude he originally showed.

Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder with the cool indifference.

"Since the question of whether or not the humans should be taken in hand or not, has been raised." Sesshomaru rarely showed emotion, and if it happened to slip past the frozen artic of his reserve it was usually anger that championed its way across. But with the mention of this issue there was a noted look of annoyance hanging on his features.

"Um…what do you mean by taken in hand?" Kagome asked, stopping completely.

Inuyasha moved to stand beside her. Standing so close the back of his hand grazed her thigh unintentionally.

Sesshomaru paused as well, turning to look at them half way. "The Lords of the other lands have been discussing the possible need to address the human situation." He paused, allowing time for Kagome to become fully apprehensive as to where this was going.

"The humans have been becoming more and more bold in their encroachment onto demon territory. The Lords are now discussing driving them back by use of a large scale attack." Sesshomaru turned and resumed walking.

Kagome stood there sputtering. "But…you know the humans wouldn't just be driven out…they would fight back."

Sesshomaru did not even pause in his walk. "I will not be stalled any further. If you wish to pursue this line of questioning you will follow girl."

Kagome stood for a moment before quickly moving to catch up to him, quickly continuing with her concerns. "Are you thinking about starting a war with the humans?"

"As much as the humans are a nuisance upon these lands, this Sesshomaru does not wish such a thing."

Kagome's interest was so fully piqued that she was practically skipping after the Western Lord. "So you don't want to attack the humans? But then why are all these Lords that want to, at your home?" Sesshomaru was not slowing his pace, so Kagome tried to redouble her efforts to keep up.

When it seemed Sesshomaru might just have been about to answer her, Kagome was pulled resolutely back.

"Ahhhh!" She shrieked wile simultaneously glancing behind her, only to find Inuyasha's clawed hand fisted into the waist of her skirt, holding her in place.

"And what the hell do you need us there for? You want a human priestess and half demon at your meeting? Bullshit." Inuyasha was angry but clearly in control, Kagome was sort of impressed. Why hadn't she thought to ask that question? Here she was just marching off to what could be her death.

What if Sesshomaru was bringing them for dinner? _Wow, weird thought. _Now she was letting her mind wander just a little too far.

Sesshomaru turned to them sharply, and Kagome felt of the heat of his anger carry over from him. Well he apparently had enough of this follow the leader game complete with a question and answer segment. There was definitely a flicker of a blood red in his eye this time.

Kagome bit back another yell and as she unceremoniously hauled behind Inuyasha.

This was not going as well as she would have hoped.

"It is not my wish to have you present, it is merely a necessary inconvenience. The girl is required to procure the jewel shard. One of the Lords has taken possession of this shard and could potentially tip the vote in his favor with the added power." He looked disgusted, but his features wouldn't quite make the face. He was far too reserved for that.

"Some of the grand council may wish to start a war with the humans but that is an unwise decision."

"You said we were both needed, what hell do I need to be there for?" Inuyasha growled.

Sesshomaru regarded him for a moment; he seemed to be careful in choosing his next words. "Would you allow the priestess to travel to my castle alone?"

"Fuck no!" Was the quick response.

"Then cease this foolish questioning so that we may return to the castle before this day ends." Sesshomaru seemed intent on brushing over this topic, but Kagome felt a suspicion rise in her.

Leaning into Inuyasha she whispered her concerns. "Inuyasha I don't think that he's being a hundred percent truthful. He doesn't need me to locate a shard, he already knows who has it. I think he needs us there for another reason." Inuyasha gave small nod. His golden gaze traced up to his brother, who surely heard every word she said.

"So what is it really Sesshomaru, you don't want these Lords to start a war all over the countryside, great, but why do you need us."

"The West must be as strong as these Lords remember it, when our father ruled. Any weaknesses perceived by them, will only further their cause, and they will disregard this Sesshomaru and his allies in their opposition of such an act."

This did not seem like an easy thing for the Sesshomaru to say, the words fell of his tongue like poison. Kagome had not doubt now that they were seriously missing a part of the puzzle.

Why had Sesshomaru not left them, or tried to attack Inuyasha just to avoid this apparently annoying questioning. He needed them for something.

"The west must appear strong, as strong as when father ruled…" Inuyasha repeated unconsciously his hand moved to rest on the hilt of his sword. Kagome followed his hand out of the corner of her eye. It suddenly hit her.

"Oh!!" She cried out more loudly then she had intended. Both brothers looked her way sharply. Inuyasha looked surprised, while Sesshomaru's gaze was filled with distrust.

"You need Inuyasha there because he wields the Tetsusaiga. You need him because for the other Lords not to think the West has weakened you need to show that the two great swords of your father's are still being used to defend his territory!"

Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru as if to confirm this. The Lord merely looked annoyed.

"You miko, are more perceptive then I would have guessed a human could be." He said this without hint that it was meant as a compliment.

"You brother, will serve your duty to your family and sit in with this council. The fact that you are the possessor of the Tetsusaiga is already common knowledge. So now you must make known your allegiance to the West." Before Sesshomaru was even finished it was obvious that Inuyasha was ready to explode with anger.

"My duty? I don't have any fucking duty to you!"

Inuyasha was livid, and Kagome could understand. His whole life he had felt outcast from the demon world, from what was left of his demon family and the brother that seemed to resent him, and now that same brother was demanding his help.

Inuyasha had a tight hold her arm and he pulled her sharply and suddenly. "We're leaving Kagome. We can get that shard some other time." Kagome breathed out a sharp breath as he began to pull her away back down the path.

What about this war? What was going to happen if all the demons decided to make an actual calculated attack on the humans? What about Miroku and Sango searching for another prayer necklace? She needed to give them more time. Some part of her brain, the part that was much more reasonable suggested that the possible war and loss of life was far more pressing of a matter then never getting another subduing necklace for Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, don't you think…" The hand that was tugging her away was violently torn away.

Sesshomaru had Inuyasha pinned by the neck to tree several feet behind her.

Her heart pounded as fresh shots of adrenalin began to pump as an aftereffect of the violence that occurred so close to her.

Nervously she took a step towards the brothers. She was able to see Inuyasha's face, red with veins that bulge desperately trying to deliver blood past the impenetrable beerier of Sesshomaru's iron grip.

Inuyasha grabbed hold of his brother's wrist viciously digging his claws in. Dread spread through Kagome like wild fire.

A sickenly green glow came from Sesshomaru's hand and the awful stench of acid of burning flesh came quickly after.

"Stop it!" She cried, she glanced quickly for her fallen pack; she ripped her bow and a single arrow out.

All the wile Sesshomaru leaned in and whispered to his struggling brother. "You selfish fool, you would have this land fall to a pointless war because you still have not got over feeling slighted as a pup."

Inuyasha struggled uselessly, squirming under the pain of being oxygen deprived and being burned simultaneously.

"Let him go!" Kagome did not let her voice waver as she pulled the arrow across the bow.

The slight creaking of the bow caught the Lord's attention and he glanced casually behind him.

"How you inspire such loyalty is beyond me." He whispered to his younger brother. The strangling grip disappeared as quickly as it came. Inuyasha sagged against the tree gasping as both oxygen was allowed to his lungs and blood to his woozy head.

But the sight before him almost stopped his heart. A bow and arrow was tossed across the path, and Kagome's head was painfully pulled back by her hair. There was a hiss and the acid still dripping from his brother's hand melted the ends of her hair.

"Leave Kagome alone." He rasped passed a bruised throat.

"Little brother you are not prepared for an army of demons to ravage this landscape, when you cannot even defend what you cherish from one demon." He released Kagome from his hold.

Inuyasha drew his sword as Kagome hurried to his side. "I don't get you Sesshomaru, why the hell do you care if there's a war, it's not like you actually like humans."

"Yes this Sesshomaru has little regard for humans, but an all out war in my territory is not desirable. I am responsible for the western territory and I will not have that threatened by marauding bloodthirsty soldiers." He snapped

It was odd to see what existed on the other side of Sesshomaru's tight fisted control, it was also very intimidating.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome started. Laying a hand on his shoulder she felt him tense. Inuyasha was growling low and annoyed. She wasn't sure if it was directed towards her or not.

"I think we still need to go with him, if it can help prevent the other demon lords from declaring war on the humans." She whispered to him with urgency. Despite Sesshomaru's violent demonstration she still felt it was necessary to follow him. They couldn't risk what could happen if they didn't.

Naraku was enough of problem. Life would turn very violent and even more frightening if armies of demons began laying siege to the countryside.

There seemed to stretch a moment filled with tension. Kagome was almost certain Inuyasha was about to tell his brother to go to hell then grab her and leave.

It really wasn't too difficult to imagine him doing just that. Inuyasha closed his eyes as if fighting with himself. "Fine. We'll come with you, but bastard you better realize that I'm not doing this out of any feeling of duty to you or the West."

"Indeed." Was Sesshomaru's only reply.

They continued to travel, but this time there was a different tension in the travelers. Some of the old tension had been relieved with the knowledge of why they must head to the West, and what their importance was there.

The new tension existed out of resentment towards being threatened and the anxiety of walking into a situation where there were multiple high level demons. Demons so powerful that even the ice prince Sesshomaru did not wish to show an ounce of weakness in front of.

Sesshomaru eventually slowed to a halt at a clearing, the first time that he voluntarily stopped.

Kagome leaned herself up against a tree immediately. Her legs were aching, and she rubbed her hands over them trying to get rid of some of the painful sensations.

She paid no mind to Sesshomaru who was staring off into the clearing, but she glanced at Inuyasha who was standing closely by her. Inuyasha had closed the distance he allowed them to be from one another since Sesshomaru's little show of aggression. Whether she found this comforting or annoying she was sure of yet.

Sighing Kagome straightened herself, using the tree to still brace her back. Sesshomaru had yet to say anything, and Inuyasha was in a fowl mood and didn't want to talk to his brother, so here they stood in silence.

"Lord Sesshomaru, we are here my Lord!" A jubilant cry resounded through the vegetation as a small girl bounded through.

It was surprising. This small child, dressed in a bright yellow waving a fist full of wild flowers stopped just before the Lord of West and beamed at him a smile that could only come from pure joy.

Then there came stumbling behind her, a small green mess. "My Lord, Oh my Lord, please I beg of you never to leave me with this troublesome child for so long again!!"

"Jaken you will bring Rin and Kagome to the castle. You will take them in through the rear gate and leave them in Rin's room." Sesshomaru said, ignoring his retainer's complaints.

Jaken's bug eyes grew large and he appeared to open his mouth to question this order, but he was beaten to it by Inuyasha.

"I don't think so." Inuyasha grit out. "Anywhere Kagome goes, I go."

Sesshomaru glanced his way, letting one eyebrow rise. "You would have her enter through the gates, by your side…" Inuyasha's face contorted a little in aggravation. Why wouldn't he want that?

"You would have the Lords of other lands see you enter the castle with a young, barely clothed, human female, one of which you have made no claim to, who is of age. Little brother I had no idea you held your human in such slight regard."

Kagome bit her lip. Sesshomaru made some big assumptions about what she was to Inuyasha, and _there was nothing wrong with her clothes!_

Oh and these other Lords sounded oh so fun. And did Sesshomaru mention that she was _of age_…which would mean, he knew she had her period too. Could she just die now?

TT

Kagome walked sluggishly behind the skipping child. She cold not for the life of her remember why she thought that skipping was so much fun as a child. It was probably why you never saw adults skipping through the streets on the way to their business meetings, or down the road to get groceries. It wasn't that they didn't want to skip, they simply couldn't remember why it was fun.

Glancing towards his closed hand she smiled at the small bouquet of wildflowers. They were a gift from Rin, who bashfully explained to her that she could not give Kagome all her flowers because she had to save some for Lord Sesshomaru.

Kagome kept her thoughts to herself on that one. For all she knew Sesshomaru loved flowers and had buckets of them scattered through out his room. She was however doubtful. Catching her shin on a large root sticking out of the ground Kagome winced. She leaned down and rubbed the spot that already sported a bruise, a gift from Jaken.

"Walk faster human!" The toad called. The angry little creature had been barking orders at her since they had departed from the brothers. When she had informed him that he didn't need to be sniping at her, he brought his weird little staff across her shin sharply. They were not off to a great start.

They arrived at the castle without problem. Walking swiftly down the hallways servants glanced, and some stared, but no one said a word.

Kagome noticed that they were all demons of various kinds. Why was Sesshomaru constantly traveling through the countryside when he literally had castle full of servants and all luxuries that could be found in the feudal era?

She torn from her thoughts when Jaken threw open a door to one of the rooms on her right.

Rin ran quickly inside, putting her flowers into a vase on a low table.

"In human!" barked the toad.

Kagome jumped slightly at his command, and then turned a glowering eye at him. She walked slowly passed, trying to make it known that she was doing this of her own volition, not just because he said so.

"Human you will change your inappropriate clothing." He pointed a tiny nuben of a finger at one of the two sleeping mats that lay in the room. On one of them lay a neatly folded pile of clothes.

Kagome glanced at the pile of clothes and then turned back to the toad. "I will have you know that what I am wearing is plenty appropriate where I come from."

The toad rolled its big yellows eyes. "I'm sure it is human." He then turned and stood at the entrance of the room. "You two will stay put, you are not to leave here until myself or Lord Sesshomaru tells you otherwise."

"Yes Jaken." Answered Rin, who was busy putting the different flowers together in an arrangement.

The toad eyed Kagome, awaiting an answer.

"Sure." She begrudgingly relented. She didn't particularly feel like wandering down strange halls and encountering even stranger demons anyway.

"Good, now a servant should be by shortly to bring you some food, and advise you on how to act as Inuyasha's servant while you are here." …

With that said he slid the door shut.

…

…

Did he just say that she would be Inuyasha's _servant?_

"_What!?"_

TT

Thats it for now…I hated to do it, but I had to use this chapter to set up other events, so it didn't have as much interaction between Kagome and Inuyasha as I wanted, but the rest of the chapters will I promise!


	9. Chapter 9

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 9

The Seven Lords

TT

_Keep your head down. Don't speak to any of the Lords unless they address you. Keep it polite and short. Don't move quickly or speak loudly. Nothing about you should draw attention. _

Kagome gazed at her reflection in the small mirror. She certainly was dressed to blend in. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. Her clothes were fit modestly, the colors were earthy. Everything about her suggested plainness, which was good in her case, she needed to observe without being observed.

The head servant had looked satisfied by the final result, but her face showed some concern as she locked eyes with Kagome. _Don't ever raise your eyes_ was her final bit of advice.

The demon woman had left muttering about bright eyed girls that were too pretty for their own good.

Kagome sulked. It was not the best situation. Inuyasha and she had just walked into a house of extremely powerful demons, demons who wanted to start a war against man kind. Oh joy.

Rin who had been drawing on parchment with an ink brush, paused in her abstract doodling.

"You look pretty." She stated in all the seriousness that a young child could mimic of adult interaction.

"Um, thank you Rin." Kagome didn't feel particularly pretty in these clothes, which were made to make a girl seem plain and seemly.

"Your not dressed in..a inaprop…inapropferat…." The little girl stumbled over the big word.

"Inappropriately," Kagome supplied wryly.

"Yes, that's what Lord Sesshomaru said." The child exclaimed with innocent enthusiasm.

"Of course he did." Kagome sighed. Apparently _Lord _Sesshomaru was using her as a model on how nice girls didn't dress.

Kagome moved to the small window cut from the stone wall. The castle was more like a fortress, or a strong hold. She could picture Sesshomaru in his full demon form lying over a heaping mound of gold and jewels, guarding them, like the dragons of old European stories. Shaking her head from the weird image she gazed at the blooming flowers down below. The window did not give much of a view, there was only a small garden and the garden was enclosed by more castle walls.

They were most likely near the center of castle, fully enclosed by tons and tons of stone walls. It would make sense for Sesshomaru to have Rin in a room that would be so well protected. For all his hate of humans, he seemed awfully protective of that little girl.

"Girl." A voice called from the door. There stood in the door way a different servant than the one who had come earlier. The other servant had been older, and had no nonsense vibe, but had been patient. This new girl radiated animosity.

Her violet eyes glowed as she feigned patience by the door. "Girl you will come now."

Kagome stood for a moment taking in the off putting vibes this new comer was emitting, and then moved foreword.

"I'll be back later Rin."

The little girl just nodded.

The servant walked quickly through the hallway; her longer legs carrying her much faster then Kagome could keep up with.

This woman for whatever reason was not happy that Kagome was here. Shoving away her newly forming pessimist attitude Kagome spoke.

"I'm Kagome, a friend of Sesshomaru's brother."

The servant stopped abruptly and whirled on her, almost causing Kagome to slam into her head on.

"That's Lord Shesshomaru to you, and further more I know who you are _Kagome_, you are the wretched little human who has stopped Lord Sesshomaru from retrieving the sword that is rightfully his." The girl was practically hissing, and Kagome fought the urge to step back from her.

"You are the strange improper little ruffian who has shattered the jewel shard and has bewitched Lord Sesshomaru's brother into following you around, when instead he should be serving his place beside the Lord of the West!"

With that said the girl whipped right back around and disappeared down the corridor leaving Kagome alone.

Breathing out a long held in breath, Kagome stood awkwardly for a moment.

"It was nice to meet you too…" She said to empty space. Taking a glace around her, she decided she was left with better option than to head the same direction the angry demon had gone. Heading around the corner she was thankfully greeted with the sight of the kitchen bustling with people cooking and bringing food here and there. At least the girl had been nice enough to leave her a stones throw from their destination. Stepping into the buzzing atmosphere Kagome searched for the servant who had who had spoken with her before. Yei, was her name, the one who told her how to act when they were performing the dinner service tonight.

"Hey you!" For a brief moment Kagome feared she had stumbled into the wrong place, and was now in trouble, but instead a bright and wide eyed, smiling face appeared before her.

"You must be Kagome. I'm Aneko."

Aneko's eyes were intensely blue; they practically glowed in the dim kitchen. Only the fire in the stone oven behind her was illuminating the room, making it seem like this girls eyes were glowing in the shadows.

Kagome pushed off the cool stone of the wall, and smiled, trying to cover her surprise.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Im sorry if Maiya was rude to you. I knew I should have gone to get you but I had to finish setting the table. I thought it was bad with one Lord in the house, now we have seven!"

This girl bubbled and spoke excitedly in a way that had Kagome breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Well anyways lets get you something to do, Yei spoke to you on how to act tonight, so just remember everything and you should be fine,…" The girl paused and seemed to think for a moment. "Or you could mess up horribly and one of them could cut off your head for the slightest indiscretion…" Aneko looked to the side and bit her lip, before smiling brightly at Kagome once more.

Kagome's horrified expression must have clued her into on uncomforting her words were.

"Oh but don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine, your around dangerous demons all the time." She quickly tried to cover.

Kagome was not so sure how refreshing Aneko's presence was anymore. The idea of someone potentially cutting off her head tonight was dong all kinds of curious things to her stomach.

"Well let's get you a job, um how about you stir the soup for now. I know you're not used to setting up a traditional supper." Kagome followed Aneko over to the hearth where a large pot boiled.

Other servants moved around her, hardly paying attention to her at all. Some were canine demons but most of them she couldn't tell what they were. They all seemed to be under a great deal of stress.

Taking hold of the wooden handle of the spoon, Kagome could not help but feel that something was odd.

"Aneko." She called out before the redhead hurried off. "How do you know so much about me? I mean you know that I don't cook much, or know about the customs in a Lord's house. Maiya knew about the jewel shard, and how I took the sword from the stone." Kagome felt increasingly suspicious as she listed all the information these women seemed to know about her.

Aneko looked only confused by this. "Well Kagome, you're only the best piece of gossip around this castle in years." She said it so matter-of-factly that Kagome felt stupid for letting paranoia creep in. She was gossip, like the feudal era version of a tabloid story.

"Oh." Was all that Kagome could respond to that. Aneko grinned and hurried off to join the fray of anxiety ridden servants.

Stirring the spoon in the pot a couple times, Kagome took some time to look over the people in the room. She recognized Maiya, the angry servant who had come to get her. She was busily chopping vegetables, a fact that put Kagome in no hurry to get her attention. That was one very angry woman with one very big knife.

There were many others but they were nameless to her. Turning back to the soup she stared as the contents swirled round.

In just a little bit she was going to enter the dinning hall pretending to be a servant. There were going to be seven Lords in there, seven frighteningly powerful demons, some who hated humans. Why had she so easily agreed to this? There would be no way if anything went wrong, for Inuyasha to save her. These weren't Naraku's goons; these demons were on par with Sesshomaru. There was her anxiety again, crawling back into the pit of her stomach.

She had to play her part perfectly. All of her feminist ideals needed to be neatly shoved aside in this male dominated feudal society, and if she had to byte her tongue to do it she would, she would byte the damn thing off if she had to. She wasn't going to make this situation worse.

Just as Kagome was shaking herself from her own pep talk Yei stepped into the kitchen.

"Alright everyone, we're about to begin. And if one of you so much as sneezes in that room I'll have you scrubbing the latrine for rest of your natural born lives." Her eyes quickly scanned the room. When they landed on Kagome she stopped.

"Kagome come here." The others turned to look at the only human in their midst, who had been singled out.

Laying the spoon back against the edge of the pot Kagome walked slowly to meet the imposing older woman. The demons stepped aside quickly, leaving her a clear path to the "boss lady".

"Come with me." Yei turned on her heal and proceeded down the hall.

"Formal dinner here is not the same as it is for the humans. There is no shoji or mats, so things will be conducted differently. All those serving dinner will enter and bow. One of the attendants will announce dinner."

Kagome nodded as they paused in the service hallway. Just a few feet from her was the door that would lead to the dining hall.

"You will only have to attend to your master."

Kagome's eyes shot up to meet Yei's. Disregarding Kagome's silent protest the woman continued on. "You will serve Master Inuyasha, serve from the right, and you will retreat to stand behind him, never speak unless asked a direct question. That should not happen. Just follow the others and you should be fine."

Serve from the right, stand behind him, keep eyes down, and don't speak… Check check check and double check.

The older demon woman leaned a little closer and with a conspirator tone. "You need to pay special attention to Lord Reizo, it is he who carries the shard. Lord Sesshomaru requires you to locate its exact location, so that he can better neutralize this situation."

Neutralize, more like kill quickly without a big commotion. But Kagome only nodded

.

Gazing at the younger woman, Yei looked disapprovingly at her. "Your head should always be down, the Lords will be able to tell your human, but as long as you don't draw attention to yourself they should completely disregard you."

"I understand." Kagome replied trying to add assertion to her tone. She could do this.

"Alright then, let's begin." Yei moved off to the kitchen, and Kagome followed a few steps behind.

As the final touches were made to the dinner, Kagome was given a tray of food to carry, and shooed into line with the other tray carrying servants. This was it. She could feel them now, powerful auras moving closer, the Lords were entering the dining area. Her heart tightened right up in her chest feeling such imposing power.

And Inuyasha was in there with them.

"Hey don't be nervous"

Kagome whirled around to find the source of the voice. It was Aneko smiling brightly behind her arms laden with her own tray of food.

"Oh I'm not nervous."

Aneko smiled while giving her a knowing look. "Sure your not, you only smell nervous, my mistake."

"You can smell that?" Great more embarrassment, strange to think before she came to the feudal era she only worried about what she smelled like if she was sweating.

"Just try to relax, and everyone's a little nervous. But um…just try and stay away from the window, you know you don't want a stiff breeze to bring your scent to the more predatory lords."

Predatory Lords…

"Um…"

"Oh you know predators instincts are always put in overdrive, when the prey gets panicky." Aneko prattled like she was talking about the weather.

"Oh and your blood scent might get there other instincts going, if you know what I mean." Aneko laughed a little.

Kagome was horror stricken. Every time this girl opened her mouth it seemed like every awful thing that could possibly happen stumbled out.

Aneko ended her laughter quickly as the blood continued to leave Kagome's face.

"I'm not helping am I?"

"Aneko, I'm sorry, but no you are not helping." Kagome tried to say it lightly, but her nerves were fraying.

Aneko only smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Yei says I talk too much about things I shouldn't talk about. I will try not to make you more nervous, I just have this weird tendency to play out the worst case scenarios in my head."

Smiling brightly once more, with her intense blue eyes sparkling Aneko leaned closer to Kagome.

"I promise I won't do it anymore."

Kagome could only smile evenly. This girl was kind of kooky, but she was friendly at least.

Aneko changed the subject, and began to question her about her adventures with the Lord's brother. Something she seemed to think was an exciting story. Kagome could only appreciate the move from the topic of the potential ways she could die that night.

They seemed so numerous.

It was then that Yei swept up the line of servants, her sharp eyes not missing a detail as she gave everyone a final inspection.

"Alright let's go."

Everyone marched foreword in a single file line, with Yei accompanying them to the side, like a drill sergeant. As they approached the service door to the dinning hall Kagome felt for one horrifying moment that she might faint because her heart was beating so fast.

Taking a deep breath she calmed herself and stepped in the grand dinning hall. As soon as she made the move from the hall to the room, the feeling of its cavernous enormity hit her. The air was cooler in this large space the ceilings soared.

Following the person in front of her blindly Kagome approached the table towards the center of the room. The Lords were already sat, and the table was filled with many more than seven. They had to be advisors as well in the mix.

Even from the distance as they crossed the room, the figures at the table were daunting. Some were large, others simply appeared menacing. She could feel a jewel shard somewhere near the closest end of the table.

At the far end sat Sesshomaru She could barely make out his eyes as they walked from the far end of the room, but she was sure that he was not looking at her, but some weird intuition told her that he was very aware of her.

Beside Sesshomaru sat Inuyasha at his right. His golden eyes did stray her way and for a brief moment his eyes met hers. Kagome tightened her mouth slightly in small, hopefully reassuring smile, but Inuyasha moved his attention to the demon across from him treating her with the indifference she knew was necessary.

Warmth blew across Kagome's neck and she was aware the Aneko had moved closer.

"The man to left of Lord Sesshomaru is Lord Benjiro from the mountain range. He is against the war." She whispered.

Kagome gave a slight nod. Benjiro was a striking man, he was all angles, very square broad shoulders, a square jaw, and a sharp nose. But strangely he was not unattractive, with his light brown hair brought back from his face and falling to his shoulders. This was good, for whatever reason Kagome felt reassure by the fact that this powerful looking man was on their side.

Odd enough that _their_ side consisted of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru working together. Or by Sesshomaru's thinking Inuyasha was fulfilling his rightful duty as the younger brother of the Lord of the West by assisting in this.

As the reached the table the servants moved to stand three feet behind a person at the table. Kagome moved carefully and with eyes cast down to stand behind Inuyasha. Inuyasha was sitting up perfectly straight; he would have looked composed or confident to another. But Kagome could see his fingers twitch ever so often against the beautifully lacquered wooden table. He was tense and uncomfortable. He surely did not like being put in the position he was in now. He was so much more of a kick ass and take names kind of person, dinner with a potential enemy was far from his to do list. Dinner with six other potentially dangerous Lords and his brother were probably on the top of his _not_ to do list.

Kagome never saw the signal, but suddenly all the servants took four small steps to the table, she hurried to follow their example, only falling a step behind.

All at once the meals were served from the right. It was like some strange ballet, once the plates were down the servants moved to take the small ceramic jug in front of each diner. Kagome followed their example, feeling like she was taking an exam she hadn't studied for.

Inuyasha did not turn to look at her, but she could feel the warmth radiating off his body she was so close to him. He seemed agitated, something was off, and she could only guess at what had happened as he was introduced to the other Lords. It was so maddening that she couldn't speak to him. She poured the liquid from the jug into Inuyasha's cup.

Once her task was done, she unintentionally grazed his arm, his only response was a slight twitch, and one ear flicked in her direction, as if waiting for her to speak. But she would not further complicate things just because she wished to speak to him. Instead she remained silent, eyes averted, and moved back to stand with the other servants in a line parallel with the table, only quite a ways back.

By chance or by purpose Aneko was standing beside her. She grinned briefly before leaning in once again. Kagome did the same. Kagome silently said a prayer that Aneko knew what she was doing and none of these Lords had super hearing.

"Beside Benjiro is Lady Chinatsu, she is here in place of her mate who was killed a few years ago. She is an elemental demon from the north and she sides with Lord Sesshomaru."

Lady Chinatsu was breath taking, her position beside Benjiro only further pointed out the softness of her appearance, in contrast to his harder lines. Her hair midnight and falling in waves down her shoulders framed a heart shaped face, with wide green eyes. She was not regal in a sense, but she did not appear diminutive either.

"Beside Master Inuyasha is Lord Rinji from the great forest. He is a tree demon. He also sides with Lord Sesshomaru, but it is not yet seen how long he will be on our side. He does not want to oppose the others. Coward I say."

Aneko feelings of the Lord were all too clear, as she practically spat the words as she whispered.

"Down the other end, the Lord opposite Lord Sesshomaru is Lord Reizo of the east; he is leading the side for the war."

Aneko glanced back at Yei across the room to make sure she wasn't seen speaking then continued.

"He's a piranha demon, do not get in his way he has a vicious streak in him."

Kagome gazed at the incredibly sharp features of the man, with his beady round eyes, and slicked back oily black hair. As he spoke to the blonde demon beside him his pointy teeth glistened in the light.

Kagome swallowed uncomfortably, he was the one who had the jewel shard. She could sense it, but she needed to see him closer to pinpoint where.

"The man beside him, the one smiling is Lord Kaemon of the south. Its hard to make him mad, but once you do he's ferocious… well anyways he's sided with Lord Reizo." The man was well muscled and the second in size at the table. His golden hair was unruly and cast about him like a mane.

"The last Lord is Lord Dai he is to the left of Lord Reizo. He use to be very close to our Lord, but I don't know what happened."

The man was huge, with short cropped hair. He towered over everyone else at the table. He was practically a giant. Kagome nodded as she let her eyes roam over the seven Lords and Lady who occupied the table. The other figures at the table, some generals, others advisors. Scanning her eyes to the opposing side, Reizo's side she felt a chill sweep over her. They were an intimidating group. Her eyes fell to Kaemon who she could only see the back of his head, as he sat on the near side of the table, there was a man beside him dressed in similar robes. His hair was silky black and strangely familiar…The man in question turned his head to the side to speak to Lord Kaemon, and Kagome took in sharp breath. The air hitched in her throat and made a sharp high pitched noise. The squeak shocked Aneko who jerked and stared at her.

The man beside Lord Kaemon was the jaguar demon from the lake, the formerly naked demon from the lake.

The noise she made had been loud, a little too loud. Yei had turned a pair of piercing eyes on the girl, from the head of the line and Kagome could literally feel her trying to incinerate her on the spot.

Thankfully the Lords ignored the noise from the small and insignificant servant. If Kagome had been looking down the other end of the table she would notice that one of Inuyasha' silver ears cocked back at the sound. Besides that, no one noticed.

He could complicate things for her. He knew that she meant something to Inuyasha, knew she was of age, and had already expressed interest in taking her off Inuyasha's hands, all horrible things for an enemy to know or want.

But as Yei had told her earlier she was insignificant she would most likely be ignored. Most of these demons did not have the superior sense of smell that dog demons possessed so as long as she didn't get too close to this jaguar than she would be okay. The only reason he had scented her out before was because she had casually tossed her ruined pair of underwear to the ground, and this demon looking for a bath had happened by.

She would be fine, as long as she didn't do anything stupid, and as long as Inuyasha didn't do anything stupid than she was okay.

Before her heart was able to return to an even pace she felt something drift across her neck. It was slight, a light warm breeze that drifted in through the open windows, rustling her bound hair. Kagome watched with horror as the invisible odor particulars drifted towards the table.

Like some horrible joke played by fate, the breeze moved across the backs of the diners and Kagome watched with fear gripping her heart as it moved a few strands of the silken jet black hair. The dark haired demon paused in his conversation, and then his intense felines eyes were on her.


	10. Chapter 10

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 10

A Rock and a Hard Place

Okay…so it has only been a few months (years)…err yeah..Anyway, this was half written…well like 9 months ago, but a lot of crazy things have been happening.

Characters: (Because I just finished mapping out the rest of the story, and discovered that there are going to be quite a few characters involved, and this character guide might help keep everything straight.) The _italics_ indicate the meaning of the characters name.

The Lords

**Dai**: _large, great, _Ox demon from the South East, he used to be a trusted ally of Sesshomaru, now sided with Reizo. (for unknown reason)

**Kaemon**: _Joyful_. Lion demon from the South. He sides with Reizo.

**Reizo**_: cool, calm. _Piranha demon from the East. He has the jewel shard, and is leading the side intent on war.

**Rinji**: _peaceful forest. _A tree demon, from the great forest. He sides with Sesshomaru…but has some doubts.

**Benjiro**: _enjoys peace. _Eagle demon from the mountains. He sides with Sesshomaru.

**Chinatsu**: _a thousand summers_, an elemental (earthy) demon from the North, she sides with Sesshomaru.

Advisors

**Kano**: _masculine power. _Panther demon, he is Kaemon's advisor. (He lusts after Kagome)

Servants

**Yei**: _Flourishing_ Head of Sesshomaru's staff. Older elemental demon.

**Aneko**: _Older sister._ Red squirrel demon, wants to help Kagome.

**Maiya**: _beautiful forever…__**Sanskrit meaning**__: illusion_. Minx demon

Sesshomaru's guards

**Haruko**: _first born._ Dog demon, loyal soldier, brother of Toshi.

**Toshi**: _mirror image. _Dog demon, loyal soldier, brother of Haruko.

TT

Kagome swallowed as it seemed all the weight in her body dropped down into her feet and rooted her to the spot. His amber cat eyes glowed from across the room. Suddenly what Aneko had said about predatory demons flew into Kagome's thoughts. _Don't panic in front of them, don't look like prey. _

Making the decision to not look as afraid as she felt, Kagome raised her eyes and squared her jaw. A smile split the demon's face; clearly her actions were amusing him in some way. But _dammit_ if she was screwed she was not going to act like a coward in front of that smiling bastard.

"Well, well so this is where _Master _Inuyasha has put his human." The jaguar spoke.

At this point all the occupants of the table stopped in their conversations and turned to look at what had caught the demon's attention.

The golden haired Lord Kaemon looked at his adviser curiously. "Kano do you know this servant?"

The jaguar let his eyes roam her form smugly, before answering.

"Oh yes I encountered this creature bathing with our gracious host's baby brother."

Kagome seethed, as she fought to keep her facial expression passive.

The golden haired lord laughed at his adviser, a rich hearty onslaught of amusement. He also let his gaze travel over the pretty young human.

"I bet you did." He chortled.

As he said this Inuyasha was already standing and Sesshomaru raised a hand, staying him from doing anything too hasty. Kagome wouldn't mind hasty though, the jaguar's eyes were not friendly, but it was the piranha demons inhuman focus on her that had her holding her breath. Those bulging black eyes were intensely creepy.

"Look cat…" Inuyasha began, but Sesshomaru cut through with a crisp and distinctly irritated tone.

"Kano if you are going to allow a human female to distract you from the matters at hand, then I can have her removed from the room."

Kano cast a glance at the Lord of the West from the corner of his eye, catching sight of Inuyasha's furious expression in the process.

"My apologies." He murmured but it was clear that it was merely for show, as he still kept himself half turned towards Kagome. She could still feel the attention in the room on her.

Kaemon snorted, coming to the aid of his adviser like an overprotective parent.

"Of course he was distracted by this human, what is a human doing here anyway?" The golden haired Lord said it lightly, and without any heavy accusation.

"Oh unless you've inherited your father's proclivities." This shot was directed at Inuyasha. The man laughed again, a hearty sound. This was met with stifled laughs from the rest of the table.

"Enough, Sesshomaru send the human out, so _certain _demons can think with their rational head once again." Chinatsue declared cutting through the prattling of the Lords and advisors. Lord Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow slowly as he took in the commanding woman. Kagome could only guess that authoritative women were somewhere on the infinitely long list of things that annoyed the Lord of the West.

Regardless of whether or not Sesshomaru appreciated her comment he did concede. "Girl." He spoke.

His voice was low, and Kagome started, realizing he was actually addressing her.

"Leave this room."

Kagome could only stare blankly for a moment. A blush crept up her neck a she continued to be the sole focus of the room. Kano smirked as he observed her nervous visage.

Jerking herself into action, Kagome quickly bowed remembering the position she was in.

"Of course Lord Sesshomaru."

She turned and proceeded out of the room. Every step she took she was forced to remind herself not to run. With her back to the table of predators, Kagome could feel every cell in her body move as the weight of the demons' stares were setting her skin on fire.

As she finally reached the door she sucked in a breath, as she heard a movement, like someone got up.

Adrenalin began to flood her system as opened the door. There was more movement behind, then a loud crack.

She didn't dare look back; she just quickly moved into the hallway and shut the door behind her with a resound _thwack_.

Her heart pounded in her own ears as she strained to hear any more sounds from the room. Was someone going to come bursting through that door?

The tense moment wore on, and Kagome finally had to remind herself to let out the breath she was holding. It seemed like no one else was coming through the door.

Kagome clenched and unclenched her hand. What was she supposed to do now? Most of the other servants were in the dining hall. She couldn't easily recall where the room she had been in with Rin was, what should she do?

Taking a glance down the servants hall, she considered trying to find her way back through the corridors, but was slightly anxious about who she might run into.

Glancing down the opposite hall of the servant's hall she was startled to see a pair of curious eyes looking back at her. Kagome bit her lip, as a man, dressed in a guards uniform looked at her quizzically.

"Hi." She said lamely, not sure how to explain her reason for being here.

"Hello," he responded, seeming to be equally at a loss at finding a human in his master's house. The guard was quickly joined by another who came around the corner very suddenly. The two were startlingly similar in appearance. Their hair was such a light shade of grey that it almost appeared that it had once been white, but the two stood too close to campfire and it became sooty. The faces were youthful yet stacked on bodies that looked far more mature, and muscled.

"What are you doing here?" The newcomer asked. He appeared to be the more dominant of the two, and Kagome was slowly becoming weary of how she was going to deal with them.

"Um, I was sent out of the room." Kagome said.

One guard looked to the other. "Does she smell weird?"

The first guard looked at her closely, his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent.

The guard looked back at his companion, eyebrow raised. "What were you just whelped? She's got the blood scent." The guard laughed "And all this time I thought you were knowledgeable about the ladies." The laughing guard was cut short with a cuff to the back of his head.

"No idiot, I mean that smell, it's sort of like the Lords…but more human..."

Kagome was taken aback as two boyish faces with icy blue eyes were suddenly looming in her face, sniffing away at her.

"Stop that!" She brought her hands up reflexively as they moved in, but they moved no closer.

"Hmm…" The first one said.

"I think we found the Lord's brothers servant." They exchanged a satisfied glance.

"So it would seem, but why is she out here?" The second one asked.

"Why indeed?" The first one intoned, despite the fact that he had already asked that question.

"Hey I told you already!" Kagome huffed, it was if she was spectacle at the zoo and these two were just tapping on the glass.

The first one slanted an eye at her, but only shook his head dismissing her quickly. "Girl now we are trying to figure this out, give us a moment."

A thousand years probably wouldn't get these two any closer to an intelligent thought, were they really having something to do with the security in this place!

The two moved back into conversation, and as they began theorizing about why she was sent out of the room. Did she even have to be here for this? They clearly didn't want her input.

Testing the waters, she took a slow step back, keeping her eyes on the guards, who most definitely were twins she decided.

They didn't even glance her way, so she ventured to draw back another step. They didn't even look in her direction.

She managed to reach the corner with a few backwards steps, and with one final glance at the guards she simply started walking down the other corridor. Where she was going she had no idea, but she supposed that anywhere was better than standing there waiting on bated breath for those two to figure out the problem.

Maybe she could hang out in the kitchen till the dinner was over? Of course she could always explore a bit…maybe. All of the lords were in the dining hall, so couldn't she wander without fear, for at least a little bit?

Crossing into the kitchen area she passed the now empty counters, and the hanging pots and pans above the hearth now cast an eerie glow against the far wall. The long butcher knives left on the carving table gave her a moment of ill feeling.

Pausing for only a moment, she strode right out of the kitchen. Nope that was kind of creepy; she would have to find somewhere else to wait.

Tip toeing to the entry on the other side she found herself in the corridor that Maiya had led her down earlier. Perhaps she could just find Rin again? That was certainly her best option right now; it didn't involve her aimlessly wandering around the castle. Exploring…might be fun…but then again those torch holders on the wall looked remarkably like human bones.

Kagome refused to consider how likely it was that, they _were _human bones.

She was just reaching another corner when she just caught a hint of footfalls behind her. Before the shiver of apprehension could make its way down her spine, she suddenly found her feet dangling inches off the ground and her arms grabbed up in a powerful hold on each side.

Glancing quickly to her left she saw the arms holding her were belonging to one of the guards, and quickly peeking to her right she saw her other arm grasped up in his brothers powerful grip.

"And just where do you think…" The voice to her right started.

"You're going…" The one to her left finished.

Glancing down at her dangling feet, Kagome shrugged as best she could. "I guess nowhere." She ventured.

The guards chuckled. "She's a funny one."One of them said.

Great just what she wanted to be, the amusement to a couple of crazy demon guards. Perfect. They turned her right around and carried her off down the corridor.

After a moment of being suspended over the ground, on this trek to someplace she had no idea, she finally said, "Um, I can walk."

The guards paused, took a moment to look at each other, shrugged and then proceeded without letting her down.

"Hey!" Kagome cried out indignantly.

One guard replied, "Why should we put you down, we will get there faster this way."

That logic was a little too similar to Inuyasha's when he wanted her to get on his back, when she was walking too slow. Maybe these dog demons were all the same.

They brought her through the twisting corridors without pausing once, they seemed to have no problems navigating the castle's maze like halls, and Kagome would have been grateful that she was in the company of people, well demons, that knew their way around this place, if she only had some idea where they were taking her.

"Guys, hey do you think you could just tell me where we are going?"

One guard grunted. "Why does it matter?"

Kagome was thunderstruck. "What! Why wouldn't it matter!? I want to know where you are taking me!"

The other guard let out a snort. "But why would it matter when we are already here?"

They stopped before a door, a door that Kagome was pretty sure she had seen before.

"Are we…?" She began, but she was cut off when the guards suddenly released her arms.

One knocked lightly on the door in front of them.

"Miss Rin."

The little girl in question called out enthusiastically from inside. The guards immediately opened the door, and there was Rin, in her room perfectly content sitting amongst a scattering of papers she was drawing on.

Kagome whipped around on the two smug guards. "You know all you would have had to say is that you were taking me back to Rin's room, what kind of sick joke is it to be hauling around people, and not telling them where you are taking them. " She stamped her foot in her anger. "You could have been dragging me off for any reason."

The guards only seemed amused by her tirade. "For any reason huh?" One stroked his whisker-less chin, and pretended to be thinking. "Oh I don't think _any_ reason" He said with a playful hint to his voice.

The other guard seemed to get in on the game and added. "Oh no, not _any_ reason, I could think of one in particular." And to emphasize his point he looked her up and down.

Kagome seethed with anger. "You guys are real funny!" She exclaimed not believing for a moment that these too had any intention of following through with their words. If they had they certainly wouldn't have brought her before Sesshomaru's ward to do it, not if they liked their heads attached to their necks.

"Alright then miss, in you go!" They made shooing motions with their hands, as if she was an errant child.

"Hey, now." She protested.

They ignored her and began push, one of their hands on each shoulder.

"Well how about telling me a little more about what is going on."

The guards looked at one another. "No," was their answer, in unison of course.

"Well how about you guys explain…"

"No." They said before she could even think of something else to ask.

"Fine then," She cried in frustration. "How about your names?"

This question seemed to take them by surprise; they looked at each other through sidelong glances and seemed to reach an agreement.

"I am Haruko and this is Toshi," said the one who was probably the more dominant of the brothers.

"Alright, in you go," said Haruko with finality laced in his tone.

The two bothers managed to push Kagome past the entrance to the room and without further warning grabbed the door and slid it shut with a resounding thwack.

Toshi called out, "Goodnight Miss Rin!" just as the door was closing. The girl happily responded in kind. Kagome was a little affronted by this, and called out.

"Don't you want to know my name too…its Kagome by the way."

Hardly expecting a response, she was surprised to hear, "Goodnight Miss Kagome." From the other side.

Kagome stared at the door for a moment. It hit her suddenly that Inuyasha could be in trouble right now, in a room of powerful demons and she had no idea. She just had to wait here until someone deigned it ok to come and tell her anything. She didn't like this inaction. She was always able to help before. But now it seemed like her role in this was minor. It was up to Inuyasha to help his brother, and interference from her would only further animosity in the castle. Here she was just a human girl, a servant even. No she didn't like this at all.

Kagome closed her eyes, wishing one last time that Inuaysha was safe, and would come to talk to her later. Kagome took a deep breath and turned around. Rin who was looking at her expectantly.

"Did you get in trouble at dinner Kagome?" Rin asked in all innocence. Kagome sighed and looked blankly at the wall for a moment before she responded.

"Maybe a little Rin." Rin looked up at Kagome with all seriousness. "Lord Sesshomaru thought you might."

Kagome was stunned for a moment. "What?" She questioned, making sure she heard right.

"Oh yes, Jaken was all _ that human will attract too much unwanted attention." _Rin said with an endearing attempt at Jaken's grating voice. "And Lord Sesshomarue said_ Indeed." _Again Rin did her best impression, this time trying for a low cool tone.

"Then why…" Kagome's thoughts trailed off. If no one thought she was going to be able to pull this off, then why the heck would they make her try? It was a puzzling thought, one that she wasn't likely to get any answers to soon. Feeling resigned to a night left in question, Kagome smiled warmly at Rin.

"Why don't you show me what you drew while I was gone?"

Rin immediately brought Kagome over to her pictures, elated to have a captive audience, literally and figuratively. Kagome tried to pay attention to Rin's elaborate explanations of her drawings, but her thoughts just kept straying to what was going on down the twisting halls. Her mind ticked away with the passing minutes. What if something went wrong? The seriousness of what they were getting into had not really hit her when the situation had been initially described. Now however, she felt it. The power that each of those lords had was great, maybe as great as Sesshomaru's, especially the one with the shards. To top it off these lords had standing armies at their disposal. Things could go very badly here, and what could she do about it? Was there anything she could do? Helplessness was not an emotion that ever sat well with Kagome, and now she was choking on it.

"And this is Ah-Un…" Rin brought Kagome back to reality, proudly displaying her drawing of what appeared to be a cow with two heads.

"That's very good Rin, I like the smiles on their faces." She said in the same manner her own mother had praised her childhood masterpieces.

Rin continued on with her detailed explanation of the drawing, as well as why she drew it. Something about a game of hide-and-seek with Jaken, where she and Ah-Un hid real well and he couldn't find them for hours.

Kagome nodded along with the tale, but her eyes drifted to the door ever few minutes. Surely Inuyasha would try to see her tonight. He had to know that her mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts. Just as Rin was running out of drawings to show, there came a sharp knock at the door. Kagome had been waiting so long to hear it, that she nearly jumped out of her skin when it finally came. The door slid open before her or Rin could respond. Yei appeared in the door way, looking slightly nervous. Kagome felt her throat tense, and she had so swallow hard once before she could speak.

"Is everything ok?" Yei glanced at her, and then seemed to cover her nervousness with a no-nonsense attitude that Kagome had come to expect from the older woman.

"Everything is fine. Rin it is time to get you ready for bed." The woman stepped into the room, and headed for Rin's sleeping clothes folded neatly to one side.

Kagome watched anxiously as the woman began unfolding the clothes, desperately willing her to give some detail as to what happened after she left the dining hall.

"Girl take these." Yei handed Kagome the sleeping yukata that was placed in the room for her earlier. Kagome reached out and took the garment, but noticed that Yei's eyes had strayed to the open door. Turning around Kagome was surprised to see one of the guards from before taking up the entrance to the door with his large frame.

"Go with him." Was Yei's curt command.

A shiver traveled down Kagome's spine. Why was she being sent out of Rin's room? Feeling the impatience of the guard at the door Kagome, nodded her head, and quickly bid Rin good-night. Stepping out into the hallway Kagome looked up at the guard, whose good humor had seemed to vanish since their last meeting.

"Come on." He said ushering her down the hall. Fallowing his long strides Kagome tried to calm her quickly beating heart.

"Toshi where are we going?" The man glanced down at her for a moment.

"How could you tell?" He questioned, without slowing in his pace.

Kagome who by this point was practically jogging to keep up with his stride asked, "Tell what?"

He shot her a toothy grin. "Not many people can tell me and my brother apart so quickly."

Kagome tried to smile back, but she couldn't really fake pleasantries here when her mind was whirling a mile minute.

"So where are you taking me?" She asked again. "What happened in the dining hall?" They swung around the corner quickly. Toshi took a quick glance over his shoulder as they entered a new hall. Kagome checked over hers swiftly after, becoming paranoid the further they walked.

"You know most of my life people have been mixing me up with my brother, it's kind of nice meeting someone that can tell the difference." He purposely ignored her questions.

Kagome grit her teeth in frustration. "Is Inuyasha ok?" She tried again.

"And quite frankly I find it a little insulting, because I have always thought I was the better looking one." Apparently Toshi had really selective hearing.

Kagome's hands balled up into fists and just when she was sure she was going to haul off an actual hit this guy he stopped short.

Toshi turned to look at her appraisingly, but Kagome had had enough, she stuck her pointer finger into his armored chest. "You listen here, I want to know just what is going on, why am I here, why can't I stay with Rin…"

She stopped short when he bent down to look her in the eye and put both hands on her shoulders.

"You know I'm beginning to see what all the fuss is about you." Kagome stood stunned for a moment as she stared into the crystalline eyes of the guard. With a sort of sad smile on his face, Toshi opened the door to the room in front of them.

"In you go, you should probably change and get ready for bed." Kagome glanced in at the dark and empty room.

"But what about Inuyasha?" She stood her ground stubbornly, refusing to enter the room until she had some kind of answer, anything to ease her mind.

The guard's mouth twitched as he seemed to be considering what to do with this human who was incredibly bad at doing what she was told to do.

"He is fine; he is speaking with Lord Sesshomaru privately right now." The guard seemed to be considering something. "Well more like being prevented from doing anything rash actually."

Kagome's heart lept widely to know that Inuyasha and even Sesshomaru were fine, and that no battle had broke out over dinner. The idea that Inuyasha had to be stopped from doing anything rash however piqued Kagome's interest. What was he upset about?

Sensing that a whole new string of questions were bubbling up in the human's mind Toshi swiftly pushed her into the room. "Miss I have to get back to my post, you need to stay in this room for your own safety and just try not to be nervous ok, you'll do fine." Before his words could even be processed by Kagome, he shut the door in her face.

Still staring at the door blankly his words replayed in her head. Don't be nervous? You'll do fine? At what, sleeping? Kagome sighed and turned to examine the rest of the room. She stared hard at the floor, which was occupied by two sleeping mats. Why were there two…Kagome glanced around the rest of the room looking for some evidence as to why the room was set up this way. She spied a stack of neatly folded clothes. Stiffly walking over to them she grabbed them up quickly. Men's sleeping clothes that's what they were. Well see now she was _very _nervous.

Kagome desperately looked around the sparse room, looking for some indication of who's room this was. Terrible thoughts began to swarm in her head.

Toshi's words wrung out in her head. Inuyasha was upset about something, and Sesshomaru was trying to stop him from doing anything rash. Was she going to be some sacrifice to this cause? Did Sesshomaru arrange for her to be left in the jaguar demon's room, as a way to ease the rising tension in the group?

Inuyasha would never let that happen right? What if Sesshomaru had bound him somehow magically so he couldn't interfere? Kagome felt her adrenalin began to kick in as panick began to flood her body. That's it, she wasn't just going to stay here and wait to find out what was going, she was going to go find Inuyasha.

Quickly making her way to the door Kagome was prepared to open it when she heard footsteps from the other side. They drew closer to the door swiftly, and Kagome's heart almost missed a beat. She heard the person stop just on the other side of the door. Before she could react the door was flung open.

Red, for a moment that's all Kagome could make out, quickly blinking her eyes she look up from the red clad chest to the familiar face of Inuyasha. Overjoyed to see him she flung her arms around him. "Inuyasha!" She cried out in relief. His arms came up around her automatically but he did not make a sound.

After a moment Kagome eased her hold him to look up at his face. "So how did it go?" He took a step forward. Kagome stepped back unconsciously. "What happened after I left?" He moved again, and she continued to walk backwards. "Did you guys settle anything?" When they were fully in the room Inuyasha slid the door shut.

"It went fine." He said it tight tone. He moved past her, and Kagome eagerly waited for him to tell her anything that had happened. He walked over to the small table, and lit the candle there.

"Nothing big happened after you left. Just a bunch of stuck up aristocrats arguing" Inuyasha said with annoyance. He turned back from the table. The little candle cast an eerie glow across the room. "And nothing got settled, so looks like we have to stay here for a while." The bitterness in his voice was not lost on Kagome.

Kagome clenched and unclenched her hands. "This is really big isn't it?" Inuyasha didn't say anything immediately; he only looked at her steadily from across the room.

"Yea, looks like." He said finally breaking eye contact with her, casting his eyes to the floor. The unsaid part hung in the air; they were in over their heads this time.

A moment of silence passed before Kagome ventured to ask about demon from the lake. "What about the demon who…" Inuyasha suddenly appeared very uncomfortable. "Look why don't you get ready for bed." Kagome glanced down at her sleeping clothes, then back at Inuyasha doubtfully. He ignored her however and removed his sword from his waist and began removing his haori.

Kagome looked doubtfully at her clothes, but as Inuyasha picked up his own sleeping clothes, she shrugged and turned her back to give him some privacy expecting him to do the same. She changed a quickly as possible. Thankfully her period had come to end. She was extremely lucky to have a short one, too bad she always got cramps though. Tying the yukata tightly at her waist

Kagome turned to see Inuyasha dressed in the bed clothes, but staring directly at her.

"What the heck!" She cried out indignantly, surely he must have realized that the polite thing to do would have been to turn around and _not_ watch her undress. Inuyasha offered no response, and that infuriated Kagome. All the stress of the day and now this, anger seethed in her veins. Almost on autopilot Kagome's hands balled up into fists, she stamped her foot in frustration and called out "Sit!"

Of course there was no subduing spell to cause him to come crashing to the ground anymore, so Inuyasha merely lifted an eyebrow at her childish display.

"Oh you are so annoying!" She called out in frustration. She couldn't wait to have the ability to subdue him back.

"Well you're not exactly a ray of sunshine all the time either." He retorted while pushing off from the far wall he been leaning against. He bent and picked up Tetsusaiga and walked over to the two sleeping pallets. Kagome eyed him suspiciously as he knelt on one of the pallets and laid his sword beside it.

"He's going to try and get to you." Brown eyes widened. She didn't have to ask who the he was, it was all too clear that he was talking about the panther demon. Kagome took a few steps forward.

"So what should I do?" His golden stare felt like it was piercing her. Kagome felt anxiety return. "You don't think I should leave do you?" Kagome knelt quickly on the other pallet, looking at him for any clue as to what was going through his mind right now. "Inuyasha I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you in this place; too many things could go wrong."

Inuyasha finally broke eye contact and swallowed hard once before beginning.

"You can't leave Kagome." Kagome had a sinking feeling. " Servants aren't allowed to just wander off." He paused. "And if I allow you to leave that would mean that I care more about you than I'm suppose to." Kagome wasn't insulted by his words. It was true, the whole reason she was pretending to be his servant instead of presenting herself as his friend and traveling companion was because the other demons never would have any respect for Inuyasha if they knew he regarded humans as his equals. This whole plan was dependent on the other Lords believing Inuyasha in his role as second in command to Lord Sesshomaru, making the West seem just as strong as when their father ruled.

"Okay, I will just avoid him, I mean as long as he doesn't corner me when I'm alone it will be fine right?" Kagome asked hopefully, what other option was there?

Inuyasha brought a clawed hand up to Kagome's face and stroked soft cheek gently. Her heart beat thudded heavily in her chest with the intimate gesture.

"I don't think you will be able to avoid him, he's intent on finding you." Inuyasha said this fiercely, the tone in his voice vastly contradicted the gentleness of his hand.

"Well then what.." Kagome was cut off as he brought his other hand up behind her shoulder and drew her into a tight embrace. Kagome was encased in warmth with his strong arms around her back. She breathed in his smell that was just so uniquely Inuyasha. She could feel the heat of his own face buried at her neck. It felt wonderful to be held this way. After all the worries and anxiety, this was just what she needed to make her stiff muscles relax. She felt his hands tighten at her back, and then his lips were pressed along her neck.

Kagome's heart stopped beating for a moment as she registered what he was doing. She felt the heat of his mouth against her skin, and his tongue slid out against her sensitive flesh. What was he doing? Strands of his soft silver hair tickled her chin and lips as his mouth found her pulse point and sucked lightly. Tingles traveled across his skin. Her breast too large for her bra felt sensitive under the light material of her Yukata. Kagome was flushed red and goose bumps covered her flesh and her nipples tightened. Her bodies reaction was came on like a storm.

Inuyasha kissed his way along her jaw, and Kagome's eyes slid shut as she felt his lips hover over hers. He kissed her softly at first, and she was hesitant to kiss back, but with the soft coxing of his lips against hers she felt herself respond. Hesitantly at first she moved her lips against his, but slowly she found his rhythm .One of his hands came up to cradle the back her head. Kagome felt dizzy with emotions. Tingles of excitement trickled down her spine. She felt his tongue brush her lips and heat began to pool in her stomach that she had never felt before. The world was moving, Kagome couldn't believe that Inuyasha was doing this. She had dreams like this, but even in her dreams she had been embarrassed to want him like this.

As he laid her back on the pallet Kagome was brought crashing back to reality. She gasped into his mouth and her eyes shot open. "Inuyasha?' She questioned in a raspy voice she wasn't even sure was hers. He pulled back slightly his eyes were molten golden in color. He knelt between her parted thighs and the heat from his body against hers was setting her skin on fire, but what was he doing, what were _they _doing? Kagome stared at him helplessly, caught between awakening desires and rational thinking.

"If we are lovers the cat can't touch you. It's demon custom." One of his callused hands came to rest on her exposed knee meaningfully. Kagome was still trying to process Inuyasha's intentions as his hand began to skim down her slim and trembling thigh.

"If we don't do this, then to every male in this place you're fair game." He slowed his hands decent as he reached the hem of her robe bunched up around her thighs. He bent foreword with an unreadable heavy expression in his eye, and as his lips met hers in a chaste kiss his hand slipped under clothes to the apex of her thighs. Kagome could feel the slight tremors of his shaking hand as he laced his fingers into the fabric of her panties.

"No." She whispered against his mouth. Instead of stopped he pressed his lips to hers little more fiercely and continued to pull at the fabric. Kagome tried to break contact with his mouth. He had almost worked her panties off her bottom.

"No!" She cried wrenching her mouth free from his, bringing her arms up to try and push him off. He barely budged, but stared down at her desperately. "Dammit Kagome this is the only way for me to protect you." He slammed the hand not between her legs onto the floor beside her head. For a moment real fear coursed through must have been what Toshi was talking about. Sesshomaru probably told him what he had to do in order to protect her, and he obviously wasn't happy about it. He gave a savage yank to her underwear pulling it halfway down her legs.

"Stop it Inuyasha!" She cried pushing at his shoulders. Tears sprung to her eyes against her will. "Stop it, not like this." Tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks. "Please I don't want my first time to be like this." She heard his low growl of frustration as he removed his hand from her thighs and braced it up near her head, so now he was leaning over her on all fours. "I don't want to do this just because of the situation." She was now sobbing, half naked and feeling incredibly vulnerable.

"Dammit Kagome." Inuyasha said almost hopelessly, but he pushed off her and rose to his feet. "Stop crying, jeeze don't cry." He continued in a voice that sounded pleading. He turned and walked to the high window resting his head on bottom of frame.

Kagome sat up slowly, trying to wipe away snot and tear with one hand and yank up her panties with the other. "Inuyasha how could you think this was the right choice?!" She sniffed back her runny nose. "We shouldn't have to… to..do that, just because of this Kano guy."

Inuyasha whirled on her. "Yeah and what am I suppose to do Kagome." Kagome was surprised by how angry he sounded. "What's your big solution? You want to leave? Lets go!"

Kagome was shocked and sputtered, "We can't leave, what about all the people who will be hurt? What about your brother, what about the humans and demons who will die?"

Inuyasha steeled his jaw, he knew they couldn't leave and that was his point, there weren't very many options for them right now. "Okay then, what do you want me to do?" He asked in a way that Kagome felt he really wanted her to come up with some miracle solution… only she had none.

"I don't know." She said in a near whisper.

TT

To be continued…please review! Thank u to everyone still sticking with the story!!!!


	11. Chapter 11

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 11

Into the Thorn Patch

**Dai**: _large, great, _Ox demon from the South East, he used to be a trusted ally of Sesshomaru, now sided with Reizo. (for unknown reason)

**Kaemon**: _Joyful_. Lion demon from the South. He sides with Reizo.

**Reizo**_: cool, calm. _Piranha demon from the East. He has the jewel shard, and is leading the side intent on war.

**Rinji**: _peaceful forest. _A tree demon, from the great forest. He sides with Sesshomaru…but has some doubts.

**Benjiro**: _enjoys peace. _Eagle demon from the mountains. He sides with Sesshomaru.

**Chinatsu**: _a thousand summers_, an elemental (earthy) demon from the North, she sides with Sesshomaru.

Advisors

**Kano**: _masculine power. _Panther demon, he is Kaemon's advisor. (He lusts after Kagome)

Servants

**Yei**: _Flourishing_ Head of Sesshomaru's staff. Older elemental demon.

**Aneko**: _Older sister._ Red squirrel demon, wants to help Kagome.

**Maiya**: _beautiful forever…__**Sanskrit meaning**__: illusion_. Minx demon

Sesshomaru's guards

**Haruko**: _first born._ Dog demon, loyal soldier, brother of Toshi.

**Toshi**: _mirror image. _Dog demon, loyal soldier, brother of Haruko.

The air in the valley on the other side of the mountain was hot and moist; the smell of wild flowers was so strong that it almost overwhelmed the senses. Pollen floated tortuously in the humid air and Miroku was acutely aware of the sun beating on his neck as he knelt outside the priestess's hut.

"So let me get this straight, you have the prayer bead necklace that we need, you don't want any money for it and yet you will not simply give it to us?" Miroku wiped his hand over his face in a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance. After the long journey here, the strenuous hike up the mountain, then down the mountain to the valley bellow, they had finally been able to find the village and the priestess that Kaede had spoken of. Unfortunately that's where their plan began to unravel.

The priestess was a tiny little old woman, whose wrinkled brow had sloped so far it practically covered her eyes. She was also an infuriating little toad who just smugly informed them that they would not be getting what they came for.

"Yes that is true." The woman finally spoke, smiling brightly from her kneeling position, not a tooth left in her mouth.

Sango sighed heavily, not so much exhausted from the journey like Miroku, but stressed by the idea of having to search for another necklace and spend the long nights with Miroku in the woods. She felt jumpy in his company almost, like she was just waiting for something but just didn't know what. She wanted nothing more than to meet up Kagome and Inuyasha and not feel insecure every minute of every day. Miroku had admitted his love for her, told her his intentions to make a life with her, and now she was anxious? Sango had no explanation for her feelings and was left drained.

"Miroku lets just get out of here." Sango took hold of Mirkou's arms in an attempt to break his staring contest with the old woman.

He did not move for a moment and Sango was sure that he was contemplating several different things… he always was. His eyes cast into the dark confines of the priestess's hut for a moment; perhaps considering how likely it was that they could simply _borrow_ the necklace without permission.

Sensing his change in thought, Sango pinched her companion to draw him away from that potentially hazardous way of thinking. Miroku bid the woman farewell grudgingly and the two moved to head off. Their small companion Shippou however, did not follow them as they rose and headed away from the entrance of the old woman's hut. Instead his young bright eyes scanned over the face of this smiling malevolent creature and came to a thought. "Is there something we can do to get you to give us the necklace?"

Miroku and Sango stopped short and listened for the reply.

The smile on the woman's face grew even larger. "Of course there is."

The monk and ex-demon exterminator cocked their heads around just enough to see her.

"And what is that?" Asked Shippou curiously.

The old woman stared dead ahead as she answered. "You will need to complete three tasks..."

TT

Beams of sunlight stretched out across the room, and Kagome stubbornly refused to open her eyes to greet the new day. She didn't exactly want to face Inuyasha either. If she just kept her eyes firmly shut then she wouldn't have to deal with any of it… at least not for a little while.

Last night had been so awful. Her face was now dry and itchy from her tears and there was a terrible ache inside, as if her insides had tied themselves into a knot over the course of the night.

Inuyasha had tried to seduce her to keep her from being raped by an arrogant advisor to a demon lord. Wasn't that just romantic? It's the stuff every girl dreams about. Kagome dragged the blanket up a little trying to block the light. Maybe if she blocked out the light, then she could block out her own thoughts, because if she could do that she wouldn't have to think about the fact that her anger with Inuyasha was hiding something else.

She was scared. She was scared that they wouldn't be able to get out of this situation unscathed. She was scared of the demon Kano and what he wanted to do to her. She was scared that she almost had sex last night and that some part of her had wanted to just let him continue. She was scared that if she hadn't stopped him, all it would have meant to him was the protection of a friend.

Tears sprung to her eyes again. Inuyasha would go far for the few people he considered friends. Hadn't he proven that many times? So how would this be any different? Beneath the blanket Kagome scrubbed at the tears leaking from her eyes.

Well that didn't matter now. Last night they had settled it. Inuyasha had seemed even a little relieved last night after she denied him. He had settled for the night against the wall in a sitting position, leaving the bed beside her empty. She had felt the distance between them acutely as the long night had progressed.

Early this morning though, he had dressed and walked across the room just as the sun was rising. She only woke when she felt the light thudding on the floor as he moved about. He had paused just by her head and bent down to one knee and she had practically jumped out of her skin when she felt his clawed fingers slide through her hair. She had tried to stay as still as possible, not wanting him to know she was awake. Of course she should have known that she couldn't fool him.

"I know you're awake." She had stubbornly kept her eyes shut, but he continued any way knowing that she was listening.

"I'm not done talking about it Kagome." She had felt string of shivers move down her spine as he leaned a little closer.

"I'm not going to let him take you." He whispered fiercely so near her ear that she felt the heat from his breath on her skin. He rose and left after that. She thought he seemed relieved last night, but then again…there was something about the way he said those words that made her think that maybe she should be trying to avoid two demons instead of one, in order to keep her virginity intact.

Frustrated Kagome finally whipped the blanket off. At the same time there came sharp knock at the door. Kagome's heart froze.

"It's Aneko!" Called a friendly voice. Kagome breathed deep, letting relief rush over her.

TT

Inuyasha was in a terrible mood. He didn't like being backed into a corner, and here he was cornered. To add insult to injury he was now heading out on a hunting trip with the herd of Lords, retainers and advisors. The aristocrats strode through the woods as if the earth should bend and scrape before them, with the exception of a few.

The elemental demons of the group seemed particularly giddy on this outing through the heavy greenery of the Western lands. Inuyasha couldn't have been more miserable. Thankfully the bastard Kano was up ahead with his Lord Kaemon. Today would be an exercise in Inuyasha's self control. Inuyasha had practically forced himself on Kagome last night. And for what reason? That _cat_ had stuck him with no choice. These demons with their fake fucking pleasantries and rules were forcing him to either put the Kagome in danger, _or_ rut with her. He was sick of them all, and nothing would have made him happier than to leave these stupid blue bloods to their own damn mess and take Kagome and high-tale it the hell outta there. But that really wasn't an option.

Sesshomaru moved at the center of the pack with Benjiro at his left, most likely a strategic move by his half brother to further distance Inuyasha from Kano or Kaemon. Inuyasha walked a pace behind him, with the Lady Chinatsu at his side. She had moved into place beside him seamlessly at the beginning of the trek, and Inuyasha was somewhat surprised to see how graceful she was. She moved without sound, and it seemed that when she walked no plant or blade of grass was disturbed in her path. His surprise aside, Inuyasha could do without her company. She had insisted upon making small talk with him. His one word answers did not discourage her efforts.

"You did well last night." Chinatsu said.

Inuyasha was tired of this, he couldn't continue to answer her with one word answers any longer. "You know what lady, I didn't really ask you."

Lady Chinatisu only let a small smile belie her humor at his snarky remark.

"You and your brother are very similar creatures."

Inuyasha cranked his jaw shut to keep his first reaction from slipping out. He couldn't really go off like he felt like doing when he was suppose to playing the role of his brother's greatest ally. Maybe he should just say fuck them all and walk away.

Kagome would never forgive him though; hell he probably couldn't forgive himself for that. If the armies of demons from every territory reigned down in fury on the humans, the humans would be forced to retreat, but like any people forced from their homes they would return to fight. Death would spread over the land. There would be no place to hide, no way of avoiding the chaos.

"I'm gonna have to disagree with you." He finally ground out in a subdued tone.

Chinatsu glanced ahead of them; her emerald green eyes took in the form of the Lord of the West before glancing back to his younger brother.

"You don't have his years of training and reserve, but its there." Chinatsu let her slender fingers slide over a wildflower at the side of the path. "Your father had it too…and he protected those who were precious to him as well, despite the conflict it caused with his duties," She continued. Inuyasha stiffened. This woman was too strange and willing to go giving her opinion where it was definitely not wanted.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk." His fist was clenched so tight that his claws had embedded themselves in his kin.

"You don't need to be angry with me young Master Inuyasha, I did not mean to offend you."

Molten golden eyes stared hard at the profile of the nymph like creature, trying to decide how far he should trust her, and how much she really knew. "Then you should stop talking about shit you don't know about."

A smile broke across her small shapely lips. "Of course." She said agreeably.

The caravan of demons stopped short and Inuyasha's attention was brought from the irritating creature beside him, to look ahead of him to the front of the pack. Jaken who had been working as the tour guide to the area they would be hunting today was calling everyone's attention to the sight before them. Unable to catch sight of what lay ahead past the towering forms of Lord Dai and Lord Kaemon, Inuyasha had to use his other senses to get an idea of what lay ahead. The acrid smell of smoke hit is nostrils, mixed with a heady scent of decaying wood. They could only be in one place in Western lands, the Barbed Forest.

TT

Aneko waited patiently while Kagome dressed and prepared herself for the morning chores. The two set out down the hallways, which as it turned out were a lot less ominous and confusing during the daylight hours.

"So you made quite the mess last night at dinner huh.?"

Kagome looked sideways at her red haired companion. "Yeah, I think it could have gone better." Kagome returned wryly.

"Oh gosh I kept thinking you were done for."

Kagome bit her lip, but Aneko kept talking as they rounded a corner.

"That demon, Kano oh he looks fierce. I was sure Lord Sesshomaru was going to have to physically stop Master Inuyasha." The girl's excitement about last night's events bewildered Kagome a little. Um, hello, she could have _died _last night. Well maybe not died…but like …oh who knows…yeah she probably could have died.

"Aneko you know last night when you said you tend to talk about the worse case scenarios…" Kagome ventured.

The bright green eyes girl looked curious for a moment. "Um…yeah I remember that."

Kagome looked at her, waiting for it to click. "And…"

Aneko smiled sheepishly not catching on right away, and then it clicked. "Ohhh, you're right, sorry." Aneko just kept smiling and just sort shrugged it off. Kagome sighed and returned the smile half heartedly.

"So what _did _happen last night?"

Now it was Kagome's turn to look confused. "What do you mean?" Kagome had an idea that she wasn't going to like where this question was going, but there was no stopping it now.

"Oh after you had to change rooms last night, I mean I know you're still a virgin but..." Aneko said in a near whisper. Kagome's jaw dropped, and unconsciously joining in the conspiratorial feeling answered.

"How do you know that?"

Aneko glanced around and leaned in even farther. "All the staff knows, and the guards and…"

Kagome's horrified expression stopped her. "What!" She exclaimed, no longer bothering to whisper.

" Well Yei and Toshi knew what was going on, and Toshi told me and I told.."

"Everyone?" Kagome finished for her.

Aneko seemed to cotton on to the idea that Kagome was upset by what she just revealed. "Oh Kagome I'm sorry, I forgot that humans were much more prudish." Anger, and embarrassment colored Kagome's cheeks. "Oh no, that came out wrong too!"

Kagome jerked her hand up in a halting motion hoping to be able to stop this girl from making her feel any worse.

"No you see, demons, especially animal demons, our sense of smell makes it impossible to hide those sorts of things, so you see we just accept it. But I'm so sorry! I'm not used to talking to humans." Kagome had to swallow hard over her knot of anger tightening in her throat. She had dealt with so many emotions last night, so much anxiety and now to find out it was spread around the castle as gossip for every domestic or guard employed. But on the other hand this girl was trying to be nice, and the chances of finding anyone else here willing to do that, well the odds weren't on her side.

"Aneko, it's ok, well it's sort of not ok, but I will get over that. But please please, try to remember that those things, those private things…I would really like to keep them private."

Aneko smiled again, assured that Kagome wasn't furious with her. "Oh good, I was afraid that I scared you off, you know it's really nice to have someone here that's my age, and well… not Maiya." They had reached a door by this point that was a huge wooden double door with ornate carvings of large dogs amongst wispy clouds. "So this means that you can tell me what happened last night and I promise not to talk about it with anyone else. Ohhh this is so exciting to have a female friend!"

Kagome was a little less excited by this idea. Maybe she should just keep to herself? Really she could get through this without speaking to anyone…maybe. Before Kagome had time to come up with an answer Aneko flung open the doors. Once the wooden doors were wide open Kagome sucked in a gasp. It was the beautiful thing she had ever seen, an indoor hot spring. There were rocks surrounding the glistening water, and delicious steam rose steadily. Kagome was practically drooling. The whole place was like a palace…well in a castle. There was a wide expanse of wooden floors surrounding the steamy water. Along the walls were wall hangings and potted plants, there was an area with a stool for washing complete with a privacy screen. This was a dream.

Aneko caught sight of Kagome's expression, happily noting how impressed the other girl was. "Oh I know great isn't it? The whole castle was built around a natural hot spring. Oh and it gets even better, see those shoji screen over there?" Kagome nodded dumbly. "They open up into a private garden that once belonged to Lady of the castle. Its over grown right now, but the view is still beautiful when you open the doors."

There was only one question left to ask. "So do the servants ever get to um…bathe here?"

Aneko grinned. "Oh of course not this is the for the Lords use. Of course if you walk over to that side there is a smaller bath chamber that he uses, this one is actually for guests now…and miss Rin swims in here; well she did before we were overrun with aristocrats." Kagome couldn't surpass a smile at that. "Oh and when Lord Sesshomaru is away, well _maybe_ we enjoy the hot spring, but you didn't hear it from me, and Yei would kill you if you let the cat out of the bag."

Kagome had a hard time imagining the stern women sneaking into the private bathing chambers when Sesshomaru was away, but then again everyone had their vices…and apparently Yei and Kagome shared one.

Kagome stared longingly at the water, and then a thought occurred if this was for guests did that mean that Inuyasha got to bathe here? And she was stuck with the crappy servants washing chamber. There was no hot spring in there!

"You know what the worst part is?" Aneko asked suddenly. Kagome turned her attention to the fox demon expectantly.

"We have to clean it."

Kagome let out a groan and Aneko snickered into her hand. The moment passed and the two girls looked around the room.

"Hmm Maiya was suppose to be here already, I thought she would bring the cleaning supplies." Aneko huffed. "She always is trying to get out of things, like she's better than us, you know?"

Kagome didn't know, but she could guess. Her only interaction with Maiya really hadn't been that pleasant. "Ugh she is so lazy, I guess I'm goanna have to find her." Aneko headed back to the door. "You know any time we have to wait on Lord Sesshomaru that girl is first in line, but any real work and she's off." That would make sense; the girl did seem a tad preoccupied with her Lord. "Alright you stay put, I'll be back."

And then Kagome was alone, in this gorgeous palace of hot spring glory and she wasn't allowed in. Oh the humanity! You might as well have put someone on a diet in front of a plate of crispy crème donuts. Kagome managed to stay by the door for only a few minutes before she was tempted to the water's edge. So she couldn't take a bath, there was no rule about putting a foot in was there? She pulled of her sandals and socks swiftly, while taking a conspiratorial glance around to make sure she was alone. If she could just dunk her feet for a few minutes…

Her feet had just hit the luxurious water when she was rudely interrupted.

"Just what do you think you are doing?"

Kagome's head whipped around and she jerked her foot out of the water guiltily. Maiya was glaring at her from the door. Her violet eyes were trying to ignite Kagome, and she was sure that if the girl had a pyrotechnic ability she would be a pile of ash on the ground.

"I was just testing the water." Kagome tried to explain, really who was she to care. Aneko told her that the servants used the bath when no one was around.

"Well _don't_." Maiya demanded with an imperious tone.

Kagome had enough. She had done nothing to this girl to deserve this kind of treatment. This snot nosed girl was just like any other bully she would encounter in her mundane life in her own time. And you know what she didn't let girls boss her around there, and she sure wasn't going to put up with it here.

"Well I don't think it's any of your business, from what I understand you're not in charge around here, so there is no reason for me to be taking orders from you." Kagome finished with her hands perched imperiously on her hips.

Maiya's eyes narrowed dangerously. There was a flash of sharp tooth belying her minx heritage. "Human you are on dangerous ground." She began to walk foreword. Her amethyst eyes flashing with heat. "You are an insignificant little girl whose only reason for being here is that you have seduced Master Inuyasha like a bitch in heat and kept him from his duties." She had advanced quickly on Kagome, and Kagome was feeling the threat as she drew in. "Do you ever consider what you cost him! He could be with his own kind, in his father's kingdom, instead he's following you." Kagome raised her brows in shock. "You can't have any idea what you are talking about if you think I'm the reason that Sesshomaru and Inuyasha don't get along." Kagome probably should have stopped here, but a bad night sleep coupled with one too many conflicting emotions drove her on. "And I don't even know why you go around picking fights about these things. First of all Sesshomaru doesn't need _you_ to defend him. Secondly of all I never did anything to you, or Sesshomaru, we are here to help, so I really think you need to back off." Kagome had felt that she had been good and stood up for herself, but she had severely underestimated how passionately Maiya felt about the topic.

"It_ Lord_ Sesshomaru you wretched human." Kagome had a thought that this girl was batshit crazy, just before those amethyst eyes sparked like a fire igniting and she lunged. Kagome raised her hands defensively, the she demon slammed into her, one of her clawed hands hitting her shoulder while the other one pulled viciously at her hair. Kagome knocked at the reaching hand, as she was propelled backwards by the momentum of the attack.

"What in seven hells in going on in here!" Yei's matronly voice cut through the large room, and Kagome caught sight of her just over Maiya's shoulder. Aneko was with her looking on in horror. All this occurred within seconds and then Kagome had hit the edge of the hot spring. Maiya stopped just short of forcing her in when she heard the voice of Yei.

"Step away from the human Maiya, I will not tolerate this behavior. Your scandalous behavior towards our master is one thing, but this has gone too far."

Maiya flushed, angry and embarrassed to be called out like that, especially in front of the human. Why was everyone coming to the aide of this pathetic creature? What had she done to ever warrant such consideration?

"_Now _Maiya." This time the threat was so direct that Kagome could swear the air changed in the room. For a moment she wandered just how strong Yei really apparently had some idea that Yei was not to be ignored and with a smirk she released Kagome suddenly. The sudden lack of force pulling her caused her to fall back a step, unfortunately there was nowhere to step, so her fell back in surprise. As she hit the water, the irony was not lost on her that she was indeed getting to enjoy the hot spring; only…well…this isn't how she had wanted it to go.

She plunged down and fell below the steaming water. She floundered under the surface. Her traditional clothes were restrictive and she couldn't kick out with her legs. Kagome pushed her way to the surface using every ounce of strength in her arms to do so. She gasped in air as she broke the surface. The steam rising from the water clouded the air, making her lungful of air a hot and wet. When she had blinked the water from her eyes she was greeted with the sight of Maiya being struck by Yei across her snotty little face. Aneko appeared in front of her couched at the edge of the water with her hand held out to help her. Well this was fun.

TT

Kagome had been lead away to get into a new change of clothing and Ankeo went with her. "I don't understand her problem with me?" Kagome said more to herself as she struggled to pull the sopping wet robes from her body. Ankeo shrugged and helped her pull it the rest of the way off her arms.

"She's angry in general, not just at you." She handed Kagome a towel to dry off with. Kagome pulled the towel around her naked body quickly, not out of modesty, because she was comfortable with her body in the presence of other women, but instead because her goose bumps practically had goose bumps. The walk through the palace in soaking wet clothes had set a chill upon her.

"What is she so angry about?" Kagome wandered aloud, while she began to pull at her new set of clothes.

"Hmm well you see I don't know for sure, but the rumor is that she sort of threw herself at Sesshomaru." Aneko raised her brows suggestively.

Kagome blanched for a second. Aneko smiled at the expression on Kagome's face. "You can imagine how that went." She added. "But I guess she didn't take the hint. You see she walks around here like she's going to be the mistress of this place one day."

Kagome stifled a chuckle at Aneko's obvious feelings on the whole things. Aneko pulled wrapped Kagome's kimono snuggly, and then they were done. Kagome picked p the towel and began to try and towel dry her hair. How she wished she had a blow-dryer at times like these. "So I guess I have to add her to my list of demons to avoid, "was Kagome's rueful observation.

Aneko who was busily picking up the wet discarded garments, tried to give an encouraging smile. "That might be for the best." Aneko stood up with the pile of clothes that would need to be hung out to dry. "Maiya's been known to be pretty spiteful. I doubt that she will let it go that she got in trouble because of you." Aneko moved to the door and opened it. "Alright back to work." Kagome sighed, but put down the towel and followed after. A servant's work was never done.

The girls proceeded down the hall, but as they reached a hall with the servant entrance from the courtyard, there was a lot of yelling and commotion. Servants were running about. The girls slowed their pace as they approached. Aneko called out to one of the male servants. "What are you doing?" Before the man could answer, the group managed to heave a massive carcass through the door.

"Ohh." Kagome couldn't keep her surprise in as the sound of the lifeless heap hitting the floor resounded down the hall, the limbs flopped against the floor once they were shoved through the doorway, and it was all Kagome could do to keep her lunch down.

"What is it?" Kagome asked, not letting her eyes stray from the mass. Aneko made a slight face as well. "I think it's one of the great beasts from Lord Sesshomaru's hunting grounds. They must have been successful." Kagome glanced at her sideways. "What are they going to do with it?"

Aneko shrugged. "Cook it of course, there will be a great deal of meat at supper tonight I would bet." Kagome nodded her head in understanding. From behind them came the padding steps of someone walking quickly. The two girls turned to greet the newcomer.

She was a servant, and appeared to be slightly out of breath. "Human you need to attend on your master." The further the girls looked at her the more they could see that she was disheveled and look slightly out of sorts. Aneko addressed her before Kagome could. "What happened?" The demoness took a breath. "He was injured on the hunt, and now he is refusing to have any of the servants help him."

Kagome was alarmed by this point. How injured was he? "Okay let's go." She intoned quickly. The demoness took a second to look affronted by the human making demands of her, but nodded anyway. Kagome smiled grimly to Aneko before heading down the hall after the demoness. She was led past the large bathing chamber doors and around the corner to a single door with the same wood carved markings as the double doors down the hall.

"Isn't this Sesshomaru's private bathing chamber?" Kagome asked confused.

The demoness all but glowered at her. "Yes this is _Lord_ Sesshomaru's bathing chamber." Kagome wasn't sure how many times she had been corrected like that, but it had yet to have any affect and she sincerely doubted that it ever would.

The demoness knocked on the door before entering. Heat hit Kagome's face as she stepped through the threshold. The steamy room was a smaller more intimate version of the larger chamber. But this time Kagome was not preoccupied with the desire for a hot soak, instead she was aghast at what she saw. Inuyasha looking pissed, miserable and bleeding seated on a cushioned chair on the far side of the room. Kagome sucked in a gasp. There were large angry thorns sticking out of his abused flesh. Blood leaked from the entrance points. There was a small collection of medical supplies near his seated form, and Kagome was sure that the servant that led her here had been given hell for trying to tend to him.

"My lord, Master Inuyasha's human." The demoness presented Kagome, before bowing respectively and leaving the room. As soon as door slid shut Kagome snapped out of her daze. "Oh Inuyasha what happened!?" She moved swiftly to his side.

"Oi, Kagome it's not that bad, stop fussing." He pushed at her hands, but she pushed them back down as if he were a protesting child.

"Let the girl tend to you, you appearance is pathetic." Sesshomaru ordered. Kagome had barely glanced at him on her way in. He was soaking in the small hot spring, unclothed as far as she could tell. Not that she was interested in trying to find out…She had a brief curiosity about where else he had his demon markings, but clamped down hard the thought, she was sooo not going there. But really he just didn't care that she was in here while he was stark naked… trah-lala.

Hmm maybe she really was a prude by their standards.

Kagome whipped her head back around as Inuyasha cleared his throat. She gave him a look somewhere between a sheepish grin and a look of dismay. He didn't seem impressed. Ignoring him Kagome took in his body and tried to decide where to start. "Alright, let's take this off." She pulled at his top robes, and with only minimal resistance managed to leave him on in his pants. She briefly brought back to the previous night, when his hands were pushing at the folds of her clothes, when his hand had crept under her sleeping clothes… Kagome swallowed hard as her fingers inadvertently skimmed his warm skin as she was helping him with the clothing. She shook her head to try and clear her mind of those thoughts. Her skin felt too warm, and the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering away.

Inyasha kept his gaze trained on her face, but closed his eyes briefly and seemed to be inhaling deeply.

Kagome tried desperately to ignore him and continue her task. A few of the thorns had dislodged as she removed his clothes, but still too many remained imbedded. She led her hands skim over the smooth skin of his chest, checking at the rate of healing in the wounds. He skin was already beginning to regenerate thankfully. The deep holes left by the thorns were starting to fill in with granulated tissue. By tomorrow there wouldn't even be a scar.

Taking in his naked torso, Kagome allowed her gaze to travel down. His legs had the fewest thorns, mostly abrasions covered his them. His feet on the other hand had to be the worst.

It was then that there was brief knock at the other door, the one that led directly into the larger bathing chamber. Without waiting for a reply it was opened. Benjiro appeared in the door, clad only in s scanty towel. Kagome could make out his form out of the corner of her eye. His broad chest was exposed, and well defined. His thighs were thick with muscle and Kagome was momentarily taken from her task, as she took in the sight. He looked like a gladiator with his thick compact muscling and strong facial features. Kagome felt a sharp pinch on her arms and quickly brought her attention back to Inuyasha's chest. He glowered down at her. Hey _they_ had her come to this bath chamber with all the barely clothed men, it wasn't her decision.

"Just checking on the patient." Benjiro supplied as a reason for leaving the guests bathing chambers, to intrude on the host's private one. Benjiro cast a glance at Inuyasha and noticed that the girl attending on him was not the servant who arrived initially to do the job. "Ahh I see you've upgraded your choice of nurse." Kagome was instantly brought back into character. Right she was here to play servant not gawk at all the pretty pecs. She focused her gaze fully on Inyashas' chest. He had a nice chest, slim but muscled, with his abs a bit defined but certainly not bulging. Too bad it was all battered and bleeding at the moment.

Kagome sunk to her knees slowly trying not to draw attention to herself. The brothers' attention went immediately from her to the new comer. Kagome carefully picked up the wash bowl and cloth and set it to her side. She took a second bowl and laid it at her other side. Being nearest his feat she began to slowly pull the massive thorns from Inuyasha's battered feet. It must have hurt something fierce, but she was not surprised by Inuyasha's lack of reaction, especially around his brother.

"Yes he has made explicit his preference." Sesshomaru supplied coolly from the steaming water.

Benjro chuckled, but Inuyasha suddenly became defensive. "Oi I wasn't the one that sent for her, you did that on your own."

Sesshomaru let his eyes move over to Inuyasha slowly. "Yes, and you were the one to refuse help from Ami and yet be as compliant as a young pup to this one." He said obviously referring to Kagome. Inuyasha was tense with anger, and Kagome chanced at glance up from her work on his feet to see his jaw clenched. She pinched his big toe, to keep him from saying anything he shouldn't. They all had to watch what they did, though it was curious that Sesshomaru was pointing out Inuyasha's preference to have her attend on him in front of Benjiro.

Benjiro felt the tension in the room and smoothly diverted the conversation. "Now Inuyasha I can't believe you jumped into the thorn patch like that." Benjiro shook his head smiling. "Kaemon has a strange sense of humor that one. "

Inuyasha grunted in annoyance. "Yeah well you can tell him I didn't quite get the joke." Benjiro nodded his head, understanding the younger man's anger. Benjiro walk to the edge of the water and settled himself on one of the large boulders at the corner. He looked at Sesshomaru and there appeared to be some silent communicating going on there. Suddenly there was another form in the door; this one however was so large that it almost took up the entire doorway. He was clothed in a robe instead of a small towel, which was good, because one of those towels would have looked more like a loincloth on this giant man.

"I don't mean to intrude; I just wished to see that Inuyasha was well." He had a quiet way about him, despite his amazing size.

Inuyasha didn't seem to know how to address someone who expressed concern for him, accept in his usual gruff way. "Yea, should be healed by tomorrow." He responded dispassionately, embarrassed by his circumstances. Kagome almost pinched him again, but Sesshomaru spoke, smoothing over Inuyasha's faux paw.

"Thank you Dai for your concern, but Inuyasha will recover quickly from his rash action." Kagome drew her eyes up to look at Inuyasha again. Yep he definitely didn't appreciate that comment.

"Listen Sesshomaru..." Inuyasha began, but just like Benjiro, Dai stepped in to intervene between the strong willed brothers. "Ahh as I seem to recall you and I managed to have our own rash actions lead us into trouble a few times as youths." Kagome could help but try and sneak a peek at Sesshomaru. Aneko had told her that Dai and Sesshomaru once were close. Whatever had caused Dai to side against him?

Sesshomaru appeared to be bothered for the briefest moment then he merely nodded. "Yes we did seem to find trouble easily."

A long moment passed in silence. "Well I must attend to my retinue, I'm afraid they are prone to rambunctious behavior around a watering hole." He turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Benjiro waited but a moment after the shutting of the door, to rise. "Well I should be out there as well, Rinji seems to be getting a little too friendly with Kaemon and Reizo." Benjiro shook his head in disgust.

"Yes, we will speak further before the meal." Sesshomaru instructed. Benjiro nodded and proceeded towards the door connecting the two rooms. Before he made it too the door however he grinned at Inuyasha, "Gentle little thing isn't she?" It took Kagome a moment to realize that Benjiro was referring to her, and her careful removal of each individual thorn. Her cheeks colored.

Inuyasha replied casually, "Keh…One of the benefits of having a human, they're real mild." Kagome was taken aback; she stopped working on his feat. Inuyasha was talking about her the way someone would talk about their golden retriever. She had known on some level that Inuyasha had to play his part to be accepted with this group, but hearing those words made her want to wretch. She mentally kicked herself to get back to work, lest she draw even more attention to herself.

Benjiro accepted the answer as an appropriate one and moved to the door. When he opened the door however there was another body, a slender feminine body. "Lady Chinatsu," Benjiro greeted respectfully, while letting his eyes slide over her frame.

While Benjiro's attention was elsewhere Inuyasha let a finger slide down Kagome's cheek, gently bringing her out of her revere. Kagome glanced up to see him staring at her, with a myriad of emotions in his eyes. He clearly knew that what he said was offensive to her, but he had to play his part. He shifted his eyes away swiftly after a brief moment.

"I would like to speak with our host." The woman said while smiling slightly, Benjiro a cast a look over his shoulder, smirking at Sesshomaru.

"Well by all means don't let me stop you." He left the room and in his wake stood the nymph like woman.

She was also clad in a robe, but managed to look alluring, even in the simply garment. The door was closed behind her. Sesshomaru appeared to be looking at her with some sense of apprehension. Lady Chinatsu was a woman with a delicate appearance that could lull many a male into a false sense of security and despite her allegiance to their cause, there was something that caused Sesshomaru to withhold his full trust.

AN: Okay this chapter had a mind of its own and somewhere around 9000 words I beat my head against the keyboard because it still wasn't done. So this is just a section of the full chapter, the rest I will probably put up this week. It needs to be edited and re-worked, but I will try to get it up soon. Thanks for reading!!!


	12. Chapter 12

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 12

Peer Pressure and Giggles

**Dai**: _large, great, _Ox demon from the South East, he used to be a trusted ally of Sesshomaru, now sided with Reizo. (for unknown reason)

**Kaemon**: _Joyful_. Lion demon from the South. He sides with Reizo.

**Reizo**_: cool, calm. _Piranha demon from the East. He has the jewel shard, and is leading the side intent on war.

**Rinji**: _peaceful forest. _A tree demon, from the great forest. He sides with Sesshomaru…but has some doubts.

**Benjiro**: _enjoys peace. _Eagle demon from the mountains. He sides with Sesshomaru.

**Chinatsu**: _a thousand summers_, an elemental (earthy) demon from the North, she sides with Sesshomaru.

Advisors

**Kano**: _masculine power. _Panther demon, he is Kaemon's advisor. (He lusts after Kagome)

Servants

**Yei**: _Flourishing_ Head of Sesshomaru's staff. Older elemental demon.

**Aneko**: _Older sister._ Red squirrel demon, wants to help Kagome.

**Maiya**: _beautiful forever…__**Sanskrit meaning**__: illusion_. Minx demon

Sesshomaru's guards

**Haruko**: _first born._ Dog demon, loyal soldier, brother of Toshi.

**Toshi**: _mirror image. _Dog demon, loyal soldier, brother of Haruko.

"You wished to speak with me?" Sesshomaru asked after a moment had passed.

The smallest hint of a smile grace Lady Chinatsu's lips before she answered, Sesshomaru's cold demeanor seemed to amuse her in some way.

"Yes actually, I wanted to a chance to talk to you about something that has recently come to my attention." She glanced at the door she had just entered through thoughtfully. "And I may be using it as an accuse to get away from the others." She gestured meaningfully at the door. "It is far too close to the season, and some of the underlings are growing a bit bold for my taste." She walked gracefully to the edge of the water. "May I?" She asked. Sesshomaru seemed reluctant but nodded his head in acquiescence. She took a careful step down into to the luxurious water.

Kagome was torn between being envious of her for getting into that glorious warm, wet heavenly water and thinking about what she meant by _the season. _What season was she talking about? Kagome pulled the last thorn from Inuyasha's foot and let her gaze wander up considering where she should go next. She found one thorn imbedded deeply in his upper thigh. She hadn't even noticed it before it was in so deep. It was buried to the hilt. All that was visible was the flat base of where the thorn had been attached to the plant. Kagome probed her fingers inside the tear in Inuyasha's pants, trying to see if she could get her fingers around it enough to pull it out. Hmm it was in too deep. She would have to try and try and coax it out. She began to work her fingers along his inner thigh, working the hard thick thorn out.

Behind her Chinatsu settled into the water, letting her delicate hands drift through the water near the surface. "There was another reason I wished to join you here." She said after a moment letting her eyes drift to Sesshomaru who was staring at her directly with an unreadable expression.

Kagome chanced a glance behind her. Chinatsu was in the water with her robe on, which was now translucent and wet. She was seated with the water at just about chest height, but if she moved any, Kagome was sure that her breasts would be exposed. This did not seem to bother the demon woman in the least.

"And what's your reason, cause if it's to stare at my brother that way I don't need to be here." Inuyasha grumbled, causing a Chinatusu to blush slightly before she composed herself, and turned her attention to Inuyasha.

"Of course not Master Inuyasha." She glanced at Kagome cautiously, but if these two demons thought it okay to speak about private matters in front of this human, then who was she to question that? "My sources in the East sent word that Reizo's army is building." She glanced between the brothers. "His second in command is getting ready to mobilize soon. It seems that Reizo may be here for show only and he plans on launching an attack regardless of negotiations."

This was just the news they didn't want. Inuyasha nodded his head to Sesshomaru. Whatever they were communicating it was something only known to them.

TT

Kagome shut the door behind her and her stoically composed face crumpled. She couldn't help it. A giggle escaped her lips. Kagome knew that she should somehow be bothered by the near naked demoness in the room with Inuyasha but she found it only mildly annoying. Chinatsu had her eyes on the older brother anyway…

The look on Inuyasha's face was priceless when she had finished tending to him and got up to leave. He didn't need to say a word, she had known exactly what he was saying. _Don't you dare leave me here. _ He would probably have a few choice words for her tonight…

Swallowing down any further laughter Kagome set out to find someone who could tell her what the heck she was suppose to do now. She supposed it would be more chores. Maybe she could just search a little slowly…

TT

Unfortunately while Kagome was taking her time to find the other servants, Yei had found her. She was admonished for escalating the situation between her and Maiya, and in the same breath warned to stay away from the girl because she was a loose cannon.

Yei worked her hard. Now Kagome wasn't a couch potato but after a day of dusting, scrubbing, soaking, filling, folding, and don't forget cooking she needed a vacation. Her hands had calluses and she sorely wanted her favorite raspberry and vanilla hand cream.

Luckily though, the fact that a demon advisor wanted to hurt her actually came to her benefit…well in small way at least. She didn't have to serve at dinner any longer. So now she was relegated to bringing Rin her dinner and entertaining the girl while everyone else was occupied with other duties. Kagome considered briefly if these great considerations for Rin's care were direct orders from Sesshomaru, or Yei's interpretation of what he would want. The answer to that question was not one that Kagome was likely to discover soon, but still it gave her something to think about.

Dinner with Rin had been fine. Rin was good at keeping the talking going, so the two of them had enjoyed time together in the servants' common room.

The night was passing slowly however, and despite how relieved Kagome was to not have to be in the Great Hall serving dinner, she still had a strong desire to know what was going on. She would have to question Inuyasha tonight…that is If he wasn't going to try and talk about their little situation again …

Kagome had pretty much convinced herself that she had talked Inuyasha out of his 'protection plan' last night, but as the time to return to the room was approaching she was beginning to have some doubts. The subduing spell would be sooo handy in this sort of situation.

There came a knock at the door, before it was pushed open. Kagome smiled at Aneko as she entered. The chatty girl was a welcome relief, between Kagome's fading attention span and the fact that Rin had probably recanted every adventure she had ever been on with the wonderful and stupendous Lord Sesshomaru. Anyone who could bring up a new topic was going to rank pretty high on her list.

She spoke with Aneko about what happened to Inuyasha. Aneko cursed Lord Kaemon, calling him an overgrown child.

The three of them were together only a short time though before more servants began to join them in the room, having completed their daily duties. Kagome was quiet at first, sitting near Aneko and Rin before both girls abandoned her to circulate throughout the room. It was awkward, like she was the new kid in the school and the only two people she knew just left her. Forcing a smile she introduced herself to a few of the other servants, she was no wallflower.

She made small talk with a few of the other servants, but it was difficult to find common ground. She didn't know what to say to them, and they seemed equally at loss about her. Kagome couldn't have been more relieved when she spied Toshi and Haruko coming through the door. Toshi shot her a little wave right away, but Haruko moved into the room greeting a few people before making his way over to her. "Well if it isn't Master Inuyasha's human, and alive still, that's impressive."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Ha ha real funny." Haruko pretended to be affronted, putting a hand over his chest. "Why who says that I'm joking." Kagome shot him a dry look.

Toshi joined them after chatting with a few of the other servants. "Well missy I hear you got into it with our little Maiya." He said by way of greeting. Kagome huffed, "I did nothing, she is out of her mind." Toshi and Haruko laughed at this. "That she is." Haruko agreed. They spoke to her for a few minutes, mostly Toshi lamenting over his irritation with the cat demons entourage. Kagome held back from voicing the irony of that.

Haruko's attention was suddenly drawn to a servant girl entering the room. The girl smiled at him shyly as she made her way over. Kagome looked on curiously, while Toshi was only shaking his head.

"Hello Haruko." The new girl said warmly. Haruko greeted her in kind, and took hold of her arm to guide her to a seated position with them on the floor. Kagome did not miss the fact that he let his thumb trail along her pale skin of her arm as he did so.

As the new girl settled on the floor, she smiled, perhaps a little embarrassed by the small display between Haruko and her. "Hello Toshi and…" She looked to Haruko for an introduction.

Haurko grinned, " Rei this is the human Kagome." Rei smiled and nodded to Kagome. "And Kagome this is Rei, Lady Chinatsu's lady in waiting." Kagome smiled as well. Kagome could see a resemblance to Lady Chinatsu, and wandered if they were related in some way, or if long wavy hair and green eyes was the norm for where they came from.

Having introductions out of the way Haurko turned his attention to Rei. "Now why is it that we are treated with your presence so early."

Toshi leaned in and whispered to Kagome. "I didn't realize we are getting a treat." Kagome stifled a giggle. Toshi seemed like a typical brother, maybe more a younger brother who picked on his sibling when it came to girls. Haruko was glaring at them. Rei didn't seem to notice the interaction and answered him, "My lady dismissed me early tonight. I have no idea why though."

As those two were talking, Kagome focused her attention to Toshi. "So what's the deal with you telling Aneko about why I had to change rooms."

Toshi didn't look the least bit guilty. "Well missy you are about the best piece of gossip around these halls since the Dog General got a human noble woman knocked up."

Kagome's jaw dropped. She punched him the shoulder, "You Jerk." But she couldn't help but smile a little.

"Yeah well think about it now, Inuyasha's birth was one of the biggest scandals to break in the western aristocracy and then years later he's pinned to a tree by some ice queen of a priestess." Toshi paused and looked at her curiously. "Then 50 years later a young untrained priestess shows up outta nowhere and frees him, shatters the Shiko no Tama and starts out on a journey to put it back together again." He smirked at her. "And I hear you tried to stand up to Lord Sesshomaru on your own."

Kagome just shook her head. "How do know all that?" Before he could answer Aneko rushed up.

"Kagome we need you." Aneko's eyes were glittering with mischief. Kagome was immediately cautious.

"What do you need me for?" Aneko snaked a hand into hers and started to tug. "Rin has us putting on a show; you need to do it with us."

Kagome looked across the room to where Rin was in the middle of a group of giggling female servants and a few male servants who looked a little less enthused. A large number of the group treated Rin like a beloved niece, and for the most part they seemed willing to play along with her antics. Now Kagome did not want to disappoint Rin, but she absolutely did not want to get up and make a fool of herself in front of these demons either.

"Oh I don't think so…" She tried to pull her arm back, but Aneko tightened her grip. "Come on Kagome!" She pulled again, and Kagome was reminded that Aneko though friendly and a little bit of a silly character was still a full blooded demon.

She looked to Toshi for help, he was only grinning. Big help he was. "Here Kagome, have a swig for bravery." He pulled a jug away from another group of servants sitting near them. He snagged a cup as well. "Oh no I cant..." She was sure it wasn't juice in that jug.

"Come on Kagome," Aneko pulled her again, and Kagome was pretty sure she was going to be dragged over whether she was willing or not. Toshi filled the cup and held it out to her. She looked at the cup dubiously.

Then Haurko chimed in from behind her. "Drink up missy, you have a show to put on." Haruko chided, fighting to keep the humor off his face. Well weren't they all just hilarious. Kagome grabbed the cup and threw back the liquid. It wasn't like anything she had ever had before, and she knew her face had changed into something weird. As soon as she had swallowed though Aneko was yanking her over to Rin.

Rin looked excited to see Aneko returning with Kagome. "Oh yes and Kagome you will be playing the part of Jaken!" She was going to need more 'juice' from that jug. Kagome suffered through her role, saying some very Jaken like things as Rin had the group acting out one of the adventures she went on with Lord Sesshomaru.

It wasn't all that horrible, and the demons watching seemed to get a kick out of it. It was amazing what was considered amusing before TV. It was especially funny when Rin was playing 'Kagome' and Aneko was put into the role of 'Inuyasha'. As the fake Inuyasha hugged the fake Kagome and confessed his deep desire to keep her safe the rooms occupants seemed to be looking at her. She blushed scarlet.

There was a chance that these performances had a lot to do with certain people's pre conceived notions of her relationship with Inuyasha. Thankfully Maiya was absent, that would have been _way_ too much.

Yei eventually entered the room and the drinking, and joking eased to a halt as everyone turned their attention to this formidable woman. "Rin it is time for bed, bid everyone good-night." Rin's face fell, but she did as she was told quickly. "Good night everyone, don't forget what part we were at! We have to finish the play!" A response of good nights came as Rin stepped out of the room. Yei turned her wise eyes on the crowd. "Keep it down you lot, and behave." With that said she shut the door.

With Rin gone the kid friendly atmosphere seemed to dissolve, into drinking, gambling and flirting. There was a_ lot _of flirting. Haruko was trailing his fingers over Rei pale cheek talking to her quietly in her ear, and several demons were engaged in similar displays.

Kagome, Aneko and Toshi sat with a group of soldiers who was more interested in the gambling and drinking then the flirting though.

"Alright," Toshi said drawing the groups' attention away from their game of dice. "A toast, "He raised his cup, " To us, to our Lord, and may this conflict be resolved" The group responded enthusiastically and they downed their drinks. Kagome stared on, keeping her own cup in her lap. She was enjoying herself, but had not drank anymore then that first sip she had.

Even Aneko had drunk her share. Aneko looked at her, then down at Kagome's still full cup. "Oh come on Kagome, loosen up. We need to relax every now and then!" She threw her arm around Kagome's shoulder. "Life is too short."

Toshi who had been half listening to their conversation joined in. "Yeah come on Kagome, we could be involved in a war tomorrow, so I say let's make the most of the time we have now! Drink up." He had leaned over Aneko to hold his cup near Kagome indicating that she should raise hers as well. Aneko giggled and leaned a little on Toshi as she raised her glass as well. Kagome looked around, there were expectant eyes on her. "Make a toast." Toshi instructed.

Glancing down at the clear liquid in her own cup Kagome thought for a moment, and then raised her cup, "Alright." The rest of their circle followed suit raised their drinks. "To new friends!" She toasted boldly. Everyone echoed her with zeal. She drank deeply from the cup. Life was short, so why not?

TT

Kagome moved through the halls much too aware of the heat in her cheeks and a light feeling in her head. As she passed another corner that looked identical to every other corner she passed, she began to feel foolish for insisting that she could find her room on her own. What was with this place? By day it seemed to make sense, but as soon as night fell she felt like she was walking in a fun house maze.

As she approached another corner with growing frustration she heard light footfalls, causing her to stop short. There was a chorus of rich laughter. That laughter sounded far too familiar.

"Ah that pup looked like a pin cushion. I cannot believe he believed you when you told him to follow the beast over the tops of those bushes."

The laughter resounded again. "Yes, and right into the thorns."

It took a few dangerous seconds for Kagome to identify the two voices that were coming her way, but when she did she was on high alert. It was Kaemon and Kano, and here she was alone, a little tipsy and with no one around to hear her scream. Well…this was bad.

She might as well have jumped in a boat marked _bound for shit creek._ Glancing around, Kagome eyes locked onto the first door she saw. She considered what could be on the other side of that door and quickly decided that whatever lay beyond that door was less frightening then who was about to turn the corner. She opened the door fleeing to the other side and closed the door as quickly as possible behind herself.

Kagome was aware that she was under stars and sky instead of a castle roof now but kept her eyes glued to where she just exited; counting off seconds in her head, trying to decide if they had passed by yet. When she heard their footfalls stop near the door, she knew she had to get out of there. Chancing a glance around her she could barely make out the shadows of large bushes and flowering plants. She was in one of the interior gardens, surrounded by the walls of the castle.

Kagome began to slink away, trying to find her way through the dense foliage. The clouds darkened the night sky, and only small gaps in the grey allowed streams of starlight through. This was so not good. If there was only one way in and out of this garden she would be trapped. Overgrown bushes and weeds clawed at Kagome skin, and as the brush became thick she had to put her hands up around her face to keep the branches from scratching her eyes. Where was she? The other gardens were not over grown like this.

Kagome's difficult trek was slowed to a halt as she banged herself off of something cold and hard as stone. Recovering her step Kagome glanced at what she had walked into. It was a large stone base of a cold white marble statue. Following the statue up with her eyes, she took in the carved stone form of a woman.

The resemblance to the Lord of the West was uncanny. It must have been his mother, well hopefully it was his mother, or otherwise a sculptor had given Sesshomaru's form some interesting endowments.

But if there was a statue of his mother in this garden, then it must be the garden that Aneko had said was beyond the doors of the bathing room. Excited to have some idea where she was, Kagome pushed her way through the thick undergrowth to the front of the statue. Surprisingly there was a space cleared.

Kagome gazed curiously; it appeared there was a singular footpath from the statue to the doors of the bathing chamber. The rest of garden seemed to lack any care or tending, but obviously someone was coming out here. Kagome didn't think about it too deeply, she was far too relieved to know where she was.

She hurried through the path sighing in relief when she finally reached the wood porch just before the entrance to the hot spring. It was like a jungle getting through there! She slid the door open and stepped inside quickly.

This was good, now she had a full jungle/garden between her and Kano, now all she had to do was get back to the room and hopefully avoid an awkward confrontation with Inuyasha.

That was when she noticed that there was a stream of light shining from the private bathing chamber located at the back of the main chamber. Kagome stopped short. Who was in there?

"I will not be toyed with. If this is some game you are playing, you would be wise to leave now." Kagome jerked when she realized it was Sesshomaru's voice.

"I assure you I am not one to play games Sesshomaru. I asked you to meet me here with a purpose." And that was Chinatsu. Curiosity and guilt from eavesdropping clouded Kagome's slightly impaired mind.

"Then you would be wise to explain yourself now." Sesshomaru spoke calmly, but Kagome could hear the lack of patience in his voice.

"I have been watching you Sesshomaru, your duty is your life. You are burdened with the responsibilities put upon you at your birth." She paused. Kagome felt herself leaning in the direction of the door straining to hear what she was going to say. "And yet I do not see where you find your joy, your happiness." Chinatsu's voice was soft and sweet as she kept talking, maybe even hopeful? "After my husband's death I too have felt the burden of my duties, to hold reign over the territory until my son is old enough to take his father's place."

Sesshomaru must have lost his patience by this point because he demanded, "your point female." There was a small pause before she responded. "I grow tired of living only for duty and reason," Kagome inched towards the water as Chinatsu continued. "I wish for something for myself. Something that is not tangled in the web of lies, politics and suspicions." There was a small rustling of fabric. "And I believe you could benefit from the same." There was the distinct sound of expensive silk fabric pooling to the ground.

"You are offering yourself to me?" Sesshomaru questioned his voice laced with conceit.

Kagome's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She needed to be anywhere but here right now. She scrambled back and opened the door she just came through. Surely the cat demons had moved on. She had stepped a single foot on the porch when she saw one of the larger branches move on the far side of the garden. She could barely make out the shadowy branches in the distance. Maybe she had imagined it?

"I swear I smell the human." Well she didn't imagine that. That was Kano's voice. Were the stars aligning against her? She ducked back into the dark room, nearly tripping over her own feat in her less then sober state. She grabbed the edge of the door and shut it painstakingly slowly to try and prevent any noise. How was she supposed to get out of this one? She couldn't go back out to the garden, but how the hell was she supposed to get out of this room?

She would have to pass through the area of candle-light cast through the open door of Sesshomaru's bathing chamber to make it to the double doors leading to the hall. Kagome breathed deep and began to sneak around the outside of the water. The steam that was rising off the water was only visible in the light cast from the open doorway. She tried to ignore her wildly thudding heart, but it was not working. This was a horrible time to be a dizzy. She needed to get out of this room before she was discovered. And regardless of who found her it would be very very bad.

She glanced back at the door to the garden; were they getting closer? She turned and looked at the double doors across the room leading to the interior hall, freedom. Now all that stood in her way was the open door down the end of the room where Sesshomaru might be doing things she didn't really think he even _wanted_ to do. Not that she had really given it much thought, but she kind of looked at him like a 'ken doll' good looking, with no sexual parts, totally asexual. Meaning noooo sex. Like she shouldn't be hearing something that soundly like a deep groan coming from the private bathing chamber. She did not need to know how Sesshomaru sounded while aroused!

Kagome cringed as she came to the end of the rock edged bath. She leaned against a boulder at the corner. Okay now she just had to cross over to the door. She just had to cross the section of the room illuminated by the candlelight in full view of the occupants of that room. Well crap.

Taking a deep breath Kagome peeked around the corner stretching on her hands in knees just enough to get a quick look down the long side of the room to the open door. Sesshomaru was standing up in profile to the door and Lady Chinatsu…she was not acting very lady like…on her knees!

Kagome jerked back like she had been burnt. Holy crap! Okay she had just seen something that she had only heard described by some of the lewd boys in her class. Holy crap. A far away snapping sound from behind her made her glance back quickly. The sound was a ways off, but the cat demons were getting closer. They must be struggling to get through the dense foliage right now.

She had no options, she would just have to suck it up and sneak outta here past that damn door. Kagome steeled her nerves and crept out from behind the boulder once again, she chanced a glance down the end of the room.

Chinatsu was still kneeling but so was Sesshomaru, he had bent his head to her breast, and licked at her pert nipple, Chinatsu had her head tossed back, his one arm was wrapped tightly around Chinatsu's slim waist. As Kagome went to scurry over to freedom, Chinatsu dropped her head. Kagome's heart stopped. Fearing she was going to be seen Kagome did a backwards shuffle crawl like her life depended on it.

Screw, she had almost made it. Kagome was now sweating, between the alcohol and her acute embarrassment she was heated like molten lava. She was horribly embarrassed by what she saw, but even more frightening is that she felt her body responding to the sexual display. What was she some kind of voyeur? She just wanted to get out of here! She heard more rustling from beyond the door behind her, the cat demons were really close now. S

he wanted her simply life back…sure there was issues like Naraku's minions, but really that was so much more straight foreword then this.

Now at this point if Kagome had been paying attention to what was happening in the room down the end, and perhaps if she was not intoxicated she would have heard the foreboding sound of more clothes being shed.

Instead Kagome resolved herself to simply going for it this time, she would not look, she would just crawl to the door, openly it quietly and get the hell outta this bizzaro world that she seemed to have fallen into.

For the final time she half stumbled half crawled her way out from behind the boulder and started to make her way to the hallway door. She crawled until she was just about out of the illuminated area, but like Icarus who couldn't help but look into the sun, Kagome had to glance back at that open doorway one last time. And she would never forget what she saw.

Chinatsu had positioned her nude body on all fours and Sesshomaru who was a naked as the day he was born was kneeling behind her, his own hardened cock in his hands, positioning himself at her exposed entrance. Kagome could have sworn that every cell in her body stood stock still in that moment. Well she no longer had to wander about his demon markings, she now knew exactly where they all were. With that final thought she threw open the hall door, and flew out. Tripping over her own foot, she pushed the door shut behind her half falling against it. As soon as she was in the dark hallway she breathed out and then began to move as if on auto-pilot. She wanted to be in her room right now or as soon as possible at least. She really needed to get outta here. What if they heard her?

A movement down the hallway caught Kagome's attention, her nerves already fried just about jumped out of her. Desperately trying to focus her eyes in the dark, she could make out a slim shape crouched down the end of the hall. The long hair and maroon colored clothes were familiar, _Maiya?_ Her back was thankfully turned to Kagome so she couldn't see her, but what on Earth was she doing? Maiya was crouched down and appeared to be listening to something.

It hit Kagome suddenly; _Maiya was listening in on Sesshomaru! _She could probably hear them through the door to the private bath chamber around the corner. _Oh yuck. _She saw Maiya tense and start to look behind her, Kagome scurried off in the opposite direction, knees practically locked tight in her horror and arms out straight in front of her in the dark hallway; she looked like Frankenstein's monster in fast forward.

TT

"How much further do you think it is?" Miroku called from below Sango. He glanced down at the ground so very far below, and he was finding it hard to remember why they were doing this again. Sango who was clinging to the mountain face, glanced back down at her companion. "You doing okay down there?'

Miroku huffed. "Yes, just wandering if you can see the ledge yet." Sango smiled. The awkwardness she felt while they were traveling alone had dissipated when she was in her element of a physical challenge. She began to feel somewhat guilty though as she traversed the rock face much easier than he. Was that bad that she was showing him up? It was to be expected right; she had more experience with this type of activity with her years of training to be a demon exterminator.

Chiding herself for even considering such a thing Sango pressed on, finding her next hand hold. "I think the ledge is that piece about 15 feet up. We are almost there."

That old priestess had given them the most bizarre task. She wanted them to gather a flower that grew on this high pique, and it only bloomed at night. So what were they doing? Climbing up a mountain in the dark with only the stars to light their journey up. Oh Kagome was going to owe them big time for this. Finally Sango approached the outcropping, but the difficult part was that she had to reach for the outcroppings edge which was quite the stretch.

"Can you get it Sango?" Miroku had caught up to her now, and was right below hero on the mountain. He was a tenacious man when he wanted something. She liked that. "You know this would be so much better if Kirara could help, I don't know what it is about this mountain that weakens demons."

Miroku made a slight grunting sound as he pulled himself up from a far hand hold. "Yes, there is something deep in this mountain that is incredibly powerful." Sango carefully got her footholds so she could push off and stretch up for the edge of the outcropping. As she extended she found she was shut shy of being able to get her hand on a solid hold, her fingers just grazing the intended location. So close. She just had to reach a little more….Then suddenly she felt a boost from below. Miroku was holding on the mountain with one hand and boosting her bottom with the other. Not sure whether to be mad or not she grabbed the ledge that she hadn't been able to reach. Once she had a steady hold on it she looked down.

"Alright Miroku I have it." Only his hand didn't pull away. "Miroku…" Then she felt something else rubbing against her backside…Now one hand was holding him to the mountain, one was caressing her butt and ...he was rubbing and snuggling his cheek against her butt like it was cool side of the pillow. "Miroku!"

TT

Kagome was aware that the last cup of sake had worked its way into her blood stream as she turned the last corner before the door to her room. That last corner was a doozy, because she had to grab hold of it to keep from falling. It was a tricky little bugger.

She pushed off from the wall and stumbled right into the door to the room she was sharing with Inuyasha. She pushed it open and practically jumped inside. Somewhere in her imagination an umpire was yelling 'safe!'

She slid the door shut and slumped against it and closed her eyes. Holy cow, she couldn't even process what she saw because the alcohol stewing around in her brain was making everything just a little bit fuzzy and surreal.

"Where the hell have you been?" Came an annoyed voice. Kagome glanced up, Inuyasha was sitting on one of the sleeping palettes, shirtless with his wounds exposed by the moonlight filtering in through the window. His poor smooth, athletic body was all cut up because of that pooo head cat demon. Kagome let her eyes drift over his hairless chest, down his toned abs to the thin trail of white hair on display due to his pants riding low on his hips. What she witnessed in the bathhouse was causing her imagination to run a little wild. Hmm if Inuyasha went full demon would he be like Sesshomaru and have purple marking on his…

"Oi what are you staring at?" Without warning Kagome crumbled into a fit of laughter, the kind of uncontrollable laughter that makes your stomach shake and your insides ache from the force of it.

Inuyasha stared shocked for a moment, before the strong scent of sake hit his nose. "Are you drunk?!"

This redoubled her giggle fit. Inuyasha stared on in shock. She was drunk. Kagome was drunk, skunked, smashed, cocked, shitfaced…you get the idea. "What the hell happened?"

Kagome pushed off from the door finally. She staggered her way over to her sleeping clothes. "I gave in." She picked up her garments.

"You gave into what exactly?" Inuyasha's voice was deadly serious.

"Peer pressure." She continued to look at the clothes like they were a complex puzzle she had to solve. Inuyasha was looking at her incredulously. Kagome began to loosen her clothes, but before she could pull her robes off, she whirled on Inuyasha, turning so quickly that she threw herself off balance and had to catch herself on the wall. Inuyasha moved like he was going to get up and help her, but when she fixed him with a stare he stayed put.

"No sneaky peeks this time." She pointed at him accusingly and looked as serious as anyone who couldn't stand up without swaying could look. Inuyasha seemed like he was about to say something, but scowled and eased himself back on the palette and then threw an arm over his eyes.

Kagome, yanked pulled, hopped and sloppily put herself into her bed clothes. Having the clothes put into place as well as she was going to manage in her current state, she immediately flopped onto the sleeping pallet beside Inuyasha.

Inuyasha raised him arm slightly and peered at her wearily. She smiled at him, red cheeked and still giggly. "Oi Kagome you can't be doing shit like this, that panther demon could be wandering the halls and it is way too close to the season." Kagome was hardly listening to him, but was busy burying herself into bedding.

"And what season is that? The holiday season, the summer season? The…"

Inuyasha cut her off short. "The mating season."

Kagome seemed to find her pallet uncomfortable and began to scoot more towards Inuyasha. What he said seemed to take a little while to set in but as she laid her head on his shoulder she nearly whispered. "That's not good is it?" Kagome traced a finger on his chest avoiding the abrasions, as she reached the other side she let hand skim down his side to rest on his hip bone. Inuyasha breathed in sharply as she lifted her hand and began to play with the hair trailing down from his belly-button to the top of his pants.

"No it really isn't."He answered shakily. Kagome grew silent and let her hand rest on his lover abdomen, her pinky tucked just inside the waist of his pants. She didn't appear like she was going to say anything, so Inuyasha continued his voice a little huskier then before. "Kagome we need to talk about this."

No response came.

"Kagome?"

Glancing down at the girl at his side, he sighed, she was sound asleep.

TT

Yay! I updated in a week's time!(holy crap!) I hope you liked this chapter, it was actually a lot of fun to write. All of this was supposed to happen in chapter 11, but there was just so much that I decided it needed its own chapter! So plz review!! Tell me what you think, and just to warn u I might not be able to get the next update out nearly as quickly as the last two…school is ending and unfortunately that means everything is due!!! I will try to update as quickly as I can! Much love to everyone who gives feedback!


	13. Chapter 13

Every Dog Has His Day

The Hangover and the Pearl

Chapter 13

Kagome groaned as she felt her pillow being shifted out from under her, her head was pounding and the last thing she wanted was for it to be moved. Where did she find a moving pillow anyway? Weren't they mostly stationary by nature?

Oh now she was being rolled off it all together. This pillow was determined and pushy that's for sure. Kagome kept her eyes shut tight, but when she felt a sharp poke to the side she sluggishly opened her bleary eyes to glare at whoever had dared to wake her up.

Inuyasha sat next to her, having extricated his arm out from under her, and was staring down at her with some annoyed expression on his face.

"Alright time to get up." He said gruffly.

Kagome attempted to turn him to ash with a stare, but she couldn't maintain it very long. Her eyes were dry as the desert and her whole face felt hot, her throat ached with thirst, her head pounded in retribution and her stomach began to act up the instant that she rolled over on to her back. So fun… now she knew what a hangover felt like, and from this moment on would be dedicated to not feeling this crappy ever again.

"Inuyasha," She spoke with a voice made gravely by her dry throat. "Why did you wake me up?" Her pathetic demeanor seemed to garner some sympathy in Inuyasha, because he sighed and rose to get the pitcher of water resting on the small table. He filled one of the two cups that were there with water and walked back over.

Kagome gratefully accepted the water and drank greedily.

"I woke you up 'cause it's late and we got to talk before I have to go and play nice with the blue bloods."

Kagome sat dazedly after she had drank half of the water in the cup. Her throat didn't feel quite so dry now. "Okay what did you want to talk about." She mumbled in a way that said any conversation they were about to have was about as desirable as a root canal.

Inuyasha made a grumping noise, and Kagome cast her eyes up at him lazily. He clearly wanted her undivided attention. While looking up she took the time to notice that his wounds from the night before had vanished. She looked admiringly at his unmarked chest, and toned abs. He was as shirtless as he was the night before, so the trail of hair from his bellybutton down was still on display. She had an odd flashback to the night before. Was her hand…down…? Kagome glanced down at her right hand, as if it might burst to life and tell her of its travels.

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and said down quickly, drawing Kagome from her revere.

"Well for one, you sure as shit better not get drunk again."

Kagome looked slightly guilty for a moment. Last night had not been a shining example of her good decision making skills. She was lucky she had gotten away from the cat demons. Though…oh it all came rushing back to her, what she had seen, what Sesshomaru was doing…

"Kagome." Kagome blinked rapidly focusing back on Inuyasha.

"Yea, don't worry I won't be drinking again." Kagome said tiredly. She couldn't even be annoyed with him for his demanding tone. Her head just hurt too much and now she was too horrified by remembering what she saw to draw up anymore emotions. Should she tell Inuyasha what she saw? Maybe just to see his reaction she should…

"Alright then, you get dressed, Aneko is going to be here soon to take you down to the kitchen. " Inuyasha rose, and it seemed that he was almost reluctant. He seemed he had more to say.

Kagome could vaguely remember the previous night when she got back to the room, but she had an idea of what might be bugging him. It was…baiting season, no no…maulting? No, oh wait, mating season. That's right. That is what he said last night.

Mating season? Kagome bit her lip and lowered her gaze quickly. Yes, she did not want to broach that topic again. In fact she wanted to avoid that topic, if at all possible.

Inuyasha tossed her fresh clothes, and they hit her face despite her clumsy attempt at catching them. Kagome glared at him through bloodshot eyes. "Gee, thanks."

His only response was an eye roll and a barely audible "Keh."

Kagome lowered her eyes and plucked at a loose thread in the clothing absently. Inuyasha wasn't moving; he obviously still had something on his mind.

"You know Inuyasha I'm not getting dressed in front of you…soo shoo" She made a little motion with her hand to wave him towards the door. He didn't get the hint though. He just continued to look at her, with a hard look.

If Kagome hadn't known better she would say that he had aged in the short time they had been at the castle. Kagome shifted uneasily, and began pulling apart the clothing, attempting to dismiss him, but his presence was too keenly felt. His eyes transferred heat where they focused, and right now he was trying to look at her face.

"Kagome," He began. "About what I was saying last night..."

Kagome fixed her eyes on her lap, maybe if she concentrated really hard she could block out what he was about to say. Inuyasha was having none of it.

"Kagome look at me." She did not. "Look at me!" He applied more forcefully this time. Her eyes snapped up in response.

"Kagome it is mating season. You can't just pretend that shit is okay." He took a step closer. His agitation radiated off from him, leading Kagome to the conclusion that he had been holding this in all night.

Kagome swallowed once, and then swallowed again. She desperately wanted to avoid this kind of conversation. "I know things aren't ok. Alright I will be careful and I will stay with Aneko and other servants, no wandering around I promise."

Inuyasha scoffed in response. "Those females will be no better than the males. They will be running off, acting all stupid."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but then remembered the strange amount of flirtation and touching that had been going on in the servants' communal chamber the night before.

"Inuyasha I will be careful." She repeated, having nothing new to offer.

Inuyasha appeared agitated still. "Yeah, well that's only going to get you so far." He began to pace. "You just don't get it. If one of these powerful demons cornered you…"

She could feel the anger and frustration radiating off from him. It seemed that there was a lot that he was holding back, and she wandered if it was for her benefit or his own. Inuyasha had always been brash and brave, fool hardy, and more than likely to run into a situation without worrying about the consequences, but here this was different. These lords each were Sesshomaru's equal in strength, some of them maybe even stronger. They had armies, and allies. Inuyasha knew he couldn't just rush right in. Or maybe he feared that if a demon tried to hurt Kagome he would be defeated trying to stop it. It was all too much. Kagome only felt guiltier now, for getting drunk and wandering about, when now it was painfully obvious that Inuyasha was worried about her safety.

"Kagome, you should leave."

Kagome eyes flicked up to meet his stormy honey colored ones. "But we already talked about that, it wouldn't look good for you, if I left." Kagome licked her dry lips nervously. "I don't want to ruin anything. I mean we all have to do our part here…an..and if pretending to be a servant and d..odging demons is what I need to do than…well that is what I have to do!" She stammered out. He needed to know her commitment to this was there. This strange thing that they had stumbled into was like a beast with multiple arms and legs just trying to drag them down at every turn, and he needed to know that she was committed to finishing this. There was too much at risk.

Inuyasha shifted, and Kagome could see the tension in his muscles. The line of muscle from his shoulder down his tan arm rippled with tension. "You say that you're committed to this," He questioned, his dark brow arching as he took a step forward. Kagome's eyes locked with his as she nodded in answer. "You're going to do your part?" He moved even closer, and Kagome began to feel a tingle of anticipation and anxiety as the heat of his barely clothed body washed over her. She nodded, more hesitantly this time. He lifted his hand to caress her cheek. Kagome almost jumped in surprise. Inuyasha ignored this, and leaned in close, his clawed fingers threading through her unbound hair as he did. "Well maybe you should let me do mine then."

Her jaw dropped open just a little as he kissed her cheek, softly, tenderly even. She kept her eyes focused on the wall ahead of her, but as his other hand slid around her hip she closed her eyes as a flood of emotion swept through her. "Inuyasha." She whispered, as air barely left her lungs. He ignored her and continued to kiss his way to her jaw, her pulse point, then onto the creamy expanse of her neck. "If you are going to stay Kagome, you should let me do what I can to protect you." He said into her heated skin. She felt, more than heard his conviction.

"But, "She struggled to respond as the strong and persistent hand wrapped in her thick hair drew her head back. Inuyasha scrapped his canines against her very exposed throat, and then soothed it with a kiss. "Do you trust me Kagome?" Kagome sighed in frustration. "You know I do, but..." He continued, cutting her off. "Do you care about me?" Kagome's cheeks burned with heat. "Of course I do." He didn't know just how much. "But Inuyasha…" She tried again, but once more he stopped her. "Then this can't be such a …distasteful experience for you." He whispered fiercely into her ear, while pulling at the edge of her robe. He sounded self conscious almost, as if he was still that half-breed child that didn't belong.

Ducking away from his ministrations she brought her hand up to cup his cheek. His ears were flattened against his head as he gazed at her. "Inuyasha listen to me," She swallowed done the knot in her throat. "It is not distasteful for me to think about …about you that way." Her face burned red, and she could scarcely believe that the words were coming out her mouth. "But we can't do this …"

Inuyasha didn't want to hear that again. He grabbed the wrist of the hand that was laid on his cheek and retorted, "Why not?" Before Kagome could even begin there came a knock at the door. Kagome exhaled the answer she was about to give, and instead yelled out a quick, "Come in!"

Inuyasha released her wrist and shot her a dirty look. Aneko peeked her head in the room tentatively, and seeing the shirtless Inuyasha standing suspiciously close to Kagome, began to look decidedly uncomfortable. "Um, I apologize Master Inuyasha for the intrusion, but I came to fetch Kagome for the morning chores." Inuyasha moved away from Kagome, and she could feel the coldness in him now.

She began to feel annoyed, how dare he be angry with her? So she doesn't want to lose her virginity in some tryst designed to protect her from demons who would want her for the same thing. Could a girl get a little romance here! Maybe love? Was that asking too much?

"She will be right out," Inuyasha grumbled as he maneuvered the servant out of the room. He shut the door sharply and Kagome turned to look at him. She was going to admonish him for being so rude to Aneko when she saw the worry in his face. He wasn't angry with her, he was worried. Well maybe he was a little angry with her for making him worry…but same difference.

Inuyasha resolutely ignored the girl standing across the room from him and began to grab up his clothing so that he could get dressed while grumbling something about 'smells like stale sake anyway...'.

Kagome kept her eyes glued on him, waiting for him to say something, wanting to say something herself, but having no idea what, kept her mouth closed. It wasn't until Inuyasha began to loosen the strings of his pants that he spoke to her. "You looking for a show?" He bit out dryly.

Kagome huffed and whirled around to face the wall. Like she wanted to look! Besides she had seen just about all of it anyway…Kagome blushed red, following her own line of thinking. Inuyasha was dressed and heading to the door within seconds. Kagome turned and saw him as he was stepping out the door.

For a moment their eyes met. "Stay outta trouble today, think you can manage that?" He said in his typical gruff way. Kagome nodded, but he still fixed her with a look that almost seemed threatening. It was as if he was saying, stay safe or I will hunt you down and make you regret it. Which of course is moronic and yet a little endearing.

TT

Miroku and Sango glanced at each other out of the corner of each of their eyes. Before them was a wide lake occupying the lower portion of the valley. This mission was proving to be more annoying than they had anticipated. First there was that delightful moonlit climb up the mountain for a flower. A flower! Now it was to be a swim in search of a pearl.

That old woman was strange. She had accepted the flower upon their return with a sort of maniacal look about her. She also secretive and refused to divulge the use she had for these objects.

"You ready Miroku?" His eyes skimmed over her form, appreciating the thin yukata she had been loaned for the occasion. It was short enough that it exposed her knees. He liked her knees, in fact he liked her whole leg, and he could just imagine that leg wrapped around his hi…

Shaking himself out of his forbidden thoughts, he plastered on a smile. "Let's do this."

Sango nodded and then turned back to Shippou and Kirara sitting up further on the grassy bank. "This shouldn't take too long, but you two stay put and don't talk to that woman if she comes around. There is something odd about her." Kirara gave a chirp of agreement and Shippou exclaimed, "No problem Sango, she freaks me out. We will stay right here." Shippou had the unfortunate experience of spending time with the old woman while they were performing the first task. He was apparently traumatized from it.

Sango nodded in approval, then her and Miroku began to wade into the crystalline waters of the lake. How were they going to find a single pearl in this entire lake?

Once they had waded out far enough they kicked off into a swim. Miroku had forwent his usually robes in favor of some simple pants that the farmers in the village favored. He moved easily through the cool water, enjoying the refreshing feeling it brought to his body. The previous night's rock climbing adventure had been keenly felt that morning, and he had been trying to hide his stiffness from Sango since they rose for breakfast. But here in the crystalline water, he felt his stiff muscles start to loosen. In a particular moment of childishness he dove down deep and rolled about. He hadn't done that in years, and it felt surprisingly good to have a moment of whimsy.

Gazing up at the surface of the water he spied Sango, and promptly inhaled a mouth full of water. He swam to surface quickly and came up sputtering and choking. Sango stopped quick as her companion seemed to have swallowed half the lake.

"Miroku are you ok? What happened?" Hacking and sputtering Miroku managed to say that he was fine. Sango looked at him suspiciously, but as his coughing subsided moved to continue the swim to the far end of the lake.

"Sango," Miroku called back to her. "She glanced back at him expectantly. "Ah remind me to get you a robe before we leave the lake." With that said he pushed on ahead of her with sure and strong strokes. The ex-demon exterminator paddled confused for a moment. A robe? Why would she need a robe? Glancing down at her clothing she saw the problem immediately. She shrieked, but there was nothing to be done about it, her thin yukata was a transparent as a sheet of paper when wet.

Having gotten over his shock Miroku was now having a difficult time keeping his mind off from what he just saw. Every inch of her had been visible. Her toned slim thighs, the flare of her hips, the dark triangle of curls between her legs…Hold it together man! He dunk his face in the cool water again, hoping to clear his senses. He was going to accidently drown himself at this rate.

Miroku made it to the end of the end lake first. There was a small but powerful waterfall ahead of him and Miroku came to a stop right outside the splash of the oncoming water. When Sango joined him, he couldn't help but smirk at her. She made a meager attempt at bashing his face, but he chuckled and avoided her onslaught. He caught another eyeful for his trouble too.

When the faux attack had ended Miroku sighed. "So there is suppose to be a cave under this waterfall then?" Sango looked up at the towering rock face that the waterfall streamed down. "Yes, there is supposed to be a cave directly underneath it." Nodding to one another they dived under. The force of the water dispersing at the base of the waterfall was powerful, and the struggled to get past it, but as the moved through the bubbling and turbulent water they spotted the cave. Just as the woman said, it was a dark opening behind the waterfall.

They pressed on to the mouth of the cave. It was dark and chances were they were going to find something they didn't want to…But they had done worse before. Ducking into the inky darkness they swam down what appeared to be a fairly narrow tunnel. It progressed on, and they could not spy a giant pearl anywhere, though it was hard to tell in the dark. Miroku was just about reaching his limit on holding his breath when they saw a light up ahead. It was a cavern hollowed out in the mountain. How strange.

Miroku broke the surface first and gasped in air greedily. Sango came upright after him, seeming far more at ease with having to hold her breath for such a length. After gaining their breath though, their attention was immediately drawn to the source of the light. The rocks were glowing… shimmering green flecks of light surrounded them. The cave had an ethereal green luminescence every where they looked.

"Wow," Sango murmured as they treaded water. Miroku couldn't help but agree, it was amazing. "Look its over there!" Sango called, as she was already swimming towards the rocky bank.

Sure enough there across the bank was a little collection of shiny rocks, jewelry, and a ridiculously gigantic pearl. Sango made it to the bank, but hesitated to stand up out of the water. Miroku walked out of the water confidently behind her.

"Something wrong my dear?" He teased, knowing why she didn't want to get out of the water. Sango wanted to incinerate him with her stare. Miroku turned around smirking. "You coming?"

She wanted to smack that smirk right off his face. "No I think you can get the pearl on your own Miroku." She ground out. He shrugged and turned back to the task. The pearl was sitting amongst a menagerie of trinkets. It almost looked like a pile of treasure, like something a dragon or sea serpent would keep or maybe a sn... "Snake!" Or a snake…was Sango reading his thoughts? Sango was standing up out of the water now and Miroku was yet again distracted with the beauty of her form.

"Behind you!" She screamed. He turned away from her form with painstaking amounts of willpower and whipped his head around just in time to see a snake with eyes as big as dinner plates and a mouth large enough to swallow him whole coming up out of the water, rear back and let out a foreboding hiss.

AN: yay I updated…lol, anyway please r/r, next chapter "Letting the Cat out of the Bag," is really going to heat things up.


	14. Chapter 14

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 14

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag (Part 1)

Miroku's eyes widened to almost unbelievable size. The creature was towering over him, casting a long and forbidding shadow over him. Its shiny black scales caught the light of the glow worms making the serpent appear as otherworldly as the cave itself. Miroku's hand flexed, and he was acutely aware of the fact that they had left their weapons on the bank of the lake. He grabbed at the prayer beads bound around his arm. It would be difficult to take in a creature so big, but they were looking at no other options.

The creature seemed to react with spite to his defensive stance, for its intimidating fangs fully extended and began to drip with venom. Miroku had looped the smooth strand of beads just about off his wrist when he felt the weight of a tsunami hit his back. Sango slammed him down several feet from where he had been standing, and it was a good thing too, because the serpent had struck suddenly with its blunt nose now buried into the rocky terrain where Miroku had been standing.

"You can't use the wind tunnel, its poisonous, "Sango said hurriedly as she yanked him up and began moving them away from the beast, who was trying to shake the gravel from its jaws.

Miroku stumbled and righted himself with some difficulty as the strong woman tugged him behind her. "I don't think we have any other options Sango."

They quickly skirted the beast and made it to in-cropping in rock wall. They had waded slightly back into the water to get away from the overgrown snake, but were now carefully concealed from its cruel reptilian eyes. Miroku listened to his heartbeat thud in his own ears as he carefully slowed his breathing so that they might not alert the creature to their location. Carefully they peeked around the corner, and Miroku could feel Sango's taught muscles through her damp clothing as he leaned close to peer around her. The creature had shaken the rocks from his snout and was now looking about the cavern. It was looking for the meals that got away no doubt.

That old woman was so kind to neglect mentioning the gargantuan snake guarding the pearl; it must have slipped her mind…

"Sango I will distract the snake, you make it to the opening of the cave" His chivalrous offer fell flat as she turned her head and gave him a dry look.

"I don't think so Miroku, we are in this together."

Didn't she understand that he wasn't about to let her get hurt? She didn't have her weapons, he was the only one capable of taking on the beast right now, and even if the snakes venom poisoned him the village had access to a multitude of herbs, perhaps the old woman would be able to create an antidote.

"Sango now is not the time to be difficult," he grit out.

She whirled on him. "I am not going to leave you to die, Miroku don't even suggest it."

He stared hard at her earnest eyes. She didn't show the slightest inclination of giving in. It would seem that they were sticking together for better or worse. Now they simply needed to make it through this alive.

"Alright, but we will need a plan," He acceded.

Sango quickly nodded her head in agreement. Unfortunately a carefully thought out full proof plan was not within their grasp at this particular juncture in time. Miroku leaned slightly to his right to check on the beast once more. He found it laying out across the bank, with its monstrous length half in the water, which conveniently placed its body in the path of their escape route. When he turned back to Sango she had her hard eyes fixed on the knee deep water they were standing in. Glancing down at what had caught her attention he cringed inwardly. They were standing on bones, specifically human bones. Sango cocked her head to one side, before lowering one lithe hand into the water. Miroku tried not to show his disgust as she pulled out a long bone, most likely a thigh bone, from the pile of human remains.

"What are you thinking Sango?" He whispered, hoping that the snake did not have super hearing, as many demonic beasts were prone to have.

Surely they would be discovered eventually, they were only barely concealed within a small dent in the wall, and judging by the bones beneath their feet, they were the not the first treasure hunters who thought to hide here.

Sango took the bone in both hands, seeming to tests its weight in her hand, and allowing one hand to skim down the length of the bone to the sharp end where it had been broken from its joint.

"So you still think you can distract it for a little?"

Miroku eyed the sharp bone and said in a low tone, "You have an idea then?"

She smiled slightly, a sort of tight upturning at the corners of her mouth that he was sure she meant to be reassuring. "Just buy me a little time okay?"

Miroku thought to protest, or at least ask he what her idea was, but he had a feeling that it was so outlandish and ill conceived that he was better off being ignorant. "Alright, but if anything goes wrong, I will be using the wind tunnel," he said in way that left no room for argument.

Sango hesitated, worry clear in her eyes, but nodded anyway. Miroku began to shift and step out from behind the corner when, when Sango's chilled hands suddenly came to rest on his shoulders. Before Miroku could question her actions she closed the small distance between them and placed her lips over his. It lasted for only a moment, but the soft brush of her lips over his was more than enough to send a rush of heat through limbs.

"What was that for?" He felt a strong longing to take her in his arms, but it was hardly the time.

"For good luck," she responded, while stubbornly meeting his gaze, despite the fact that proof that she was embarrassed was spreading over her cheeks.

Miroku could not resist, and took her suddenly, hands cupping her stubborn jaw as his lips sought hers with much more demand than her previous kiss contained. His bottom lip caressed hers and he coaxed her without hesitation to part her satin lips. The kiss lasted only briefly, far too short as far as Miroku was concerned, but they had a snake the size of sycamore tree only feet from them, intent on their demise and it was sort of spoiling the mood. He finally pulled away; feeling satisfied with her somewhat dazed look and said, "That was for extra luck."

Sango diverted her eyes quickly mumbling, "Yes, right then…" Miroku could hear the body of the snake undulating across the rough gravel bed, and knew their time was running out. He brushed his lips over her forehead and stepped out from behind the rock.

TT

Kagome leaned against the wooden table heavily as she wiped the breakfast dishes dry. For some unfathomable reason there was a pounding in her head so bad that she could hardly concentrate on what she was doing. Aneko stood beside her, looking not much better than her, and thankfully silent. It seemed that every servant who had been in the recreation room the night before was skulking about in sorry shape. Everyone was huddled in their designated area of the kitchen quietly working with all the vigor of a snail. Although there was a strange wave of energy that overcame the other girls every time they had a visitor…

At first Kagome had thought she was imagining the frequency at which the guards came into the kitchen, but as the morning progressed it seemed every few minutes there was some new face taking up the doorway. The giggles and friendly chatter from the girls seemed odd considering that they had all stumbled in to the kitchen bleary eyed and yawning to prepare the morning meal. They had barely uttered a word to Kagome all morning, but these guys show and suddenly the girls were all smiles. After one stablemen came in, and not only flirted shamelessly, but actually pulled a pretty brunette out into the hallway for what sounded like some very serious making out session, Kagome turned to Aneko and nudged her with her elbow.

"Um…is this normal?" Aneko who was halfheartedly drying a pot that she had already dried looked up lazily to the door where they could still hear the sounds of sloppy kisses and the occasional giggle.

"Oh that…well I suppose it's pretty normal, actually that's pretty tame really for this season." She shrugged without care and finally set aside the pot, and grabbed a wet plate from the pile. "It would be worse if everyone weren't so exhausted." She yawned for a long moment after she said that, covering her mouth belatedly.

Aneko shot Kagome an apologetic look. Kagome laughed softly, but apparently yawns are contagious, because she couldn't help herself from following suit. The girls giggled for a moment, but were far too tired and hung-over to really get worked up about it. As Kagome set aside another plate as a fuzzy memory came to her of the night before. It was of her and Aneko sitting with Haruko, Toshi, and few others drinking and laughing. Kagome cast a glance around the kitchen, trying to recognize the girls as her drinking companions the night before. None of them appeared to be those she saw in their circle, though she was drunkety drunk, and now looking back at it through hazy Technicolor vision she could hardly put stock in her ability to accurately re-call the night. Although…her memories of events that took place in the bathing chamber were crystal clear for some deranged reason.

Aneko took notice of Kagome far off eyes and commented, "What are you thinking about?"

Jumping slightly from her memories of heavy breathing and a naked Sesshomaru performing acts she would rather be left to her imagination, Kagome tried to find a safe reason she could give for her getting lost in her thoughts.

"Um…oh..I was just thinking that I didn't see everyone else drinking last night like we were, how are they so hung-over." She applauded herself for being able to come up with something plausible so quickly.

Aneko looked at her oddly for a moment. "They are not hung-over Kagome, they're tired because of a completely different reason…"

Kagome stared at her impish smile for a moment, then just to prove how much of a virgin she was she cocked her head in confusion. "If they aren't hung-over why are they tired?" She tried again.

Aneko bit her lip to stop from smirking, but she couldn't stop herself from glancing towards the door where the stableman and Chou were becoming progressively louder. It dawned on Kagome like a ton of bricks. "Ohhh…" She breathed out as her cheeks become red with embarrassment.

Kagome was saved from being the butt of the joke when the pair in the hall was interrupted by this, "Hey does this look like your bedchamber! Get back to work, you two now reek, this is just brilliant. Have you no decency." Toshio appeared in the door way, with his head still turned to the side as he glared at the pair who thought it ok to maul each other against the hallway wall in the middle of day. As he turned to face the room's occupants a smile replaced his fierce glare.

"Ladies," he greeted warmly.

Kagome gave the guard who she was beginning to regard as a friend a tired smile.

Aneko greeted him with a nod and said, "I was wandering where you were." She moved to the pot that contained the leftovers of the breakfast meal. "It's not like you to miss a meal," she added as she scooped him a healthy portion into a bowl.

Toshio moved across the room, ignoring the feeling of hungry eyes on him and took the bowl gratefully. "Yeah I had to spend the morning getting people up to work. You would think this was everyone's first season they way they are carrying on." He scratched the back and his head, and seemed to be shaking his head to himself. "No control, "he mumbled.

Kagome put down her last dish and turned to Toshio, "I never noticed that once a year demons suddenly get…" She looked at the servants whose attention was now glued onto their little corner of the kitchen and stumbled over the right word, "twitterpated," she finally said. She might have borrowed the word from a Disney movie, but it seemed like an accurate description.

Toshio chuckled and he swallowed down a mouth full. "Well this year is particular bad, once every seven years it comes on bad. I guess it's what keeps the new generations coming. You know demons sometimes can be pretty temperamental, this way they have to put aside their differences for uh…physical desires." Toshio took another byte.

Aneko came over to the little nook that they claimed in the kitchen and leaned in conspiratorially, "I don't know what's wrong with everyone, they need to practice just a little bit of self control if you ask me. And even worse I think that that Lord Reizo planned this." Kagome's eyes widened with this revelation and Toshio shifted back to lean against the wall, as Aneko began to spin one of her unbelievable and apocalyptic tales. "…and when everyone is so caught up with the mating season, Reizo's army will come and flatten us while everyone is exhausted from satiating their lust."

Kagome's eyes were the size of saucers, "Huh," she managed to respond. It seemed so bizarre and yet a picture of the castle inhabitants being marched out stark naked, covered only with blankets and hickies, by the invading army did pop into her head. That _would _be an awful way to lose a war…

Toshio didn't let on what he thought of her theory, but glared at Chou who had finally come back into the room looking disheveled and thoroughly kissed. It almost appeared he wasn't even paying attention to what Aneko said, but he turned his head back to her suddenly and said, "And what do you know about being exhausted after satiating lust… as you put it. This is the first year that you are of age for the season." Kagome could have said that he was joking, because there was most definitely a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, but there was something in the way Toshio locked onto Aneko's eyes that had Kagome looking back and forth between the two trying to figure out what she was missing.

Aneko blushed slightly, as she reached for Toshio's now empty bowl. "It makes no difference, I still have eyes, I see what happens to everyone every year, and this time it's worse." She took the bowl, but the tips of her small fingers brushed his much larger ones.

Kagome looked on with veiled interest as Aneko and Toshio's eyes locked. Those two did not seem as unaffected by the season as they would like to believe. Aneko took the bowl and headed off to wash bin, in an apparent attempt to disengage herself from that moment between her and Toshio. Kagome could help the smile that took up residence at the corner of her mouth as she watched bemusedly as Toshio's eyes followed Aneko across the room. When he happened to glance back at Kagome he noticed her look, and immediately shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" He questioned grumpily.

Kagome banished the smile from her face and replied contritely "oh nothing."

TT

Miroku cursed quietly to himself as he dodged another attack. The serpent was just a fraction slower than him, but if he messed up he was done for. The snake's massive body made a foreboding rumble as it slithered across the ground, surely recoiling for another attack. Miroku grabbed at a decent sized rock and whirled on the creature and pelted it in the eye. That was apparently the wrong move, because the enraged snake shook the debris from its eyes then flung its powerful body at him, forcing him thigh deep into the water. His heart roared in his chest, and his hand twitched with the desire to unleash the wind tunnel. Really he would rather risk being poisoned by the beast than eaten by it. There was no dignity in being consumed by an overgrown worm!

The creature was preparing to bare down on him again, so urgently Miroku went to move, only to find he had wedged one of his feet into a crevice. Miroku tugged violently at his foot but it wouldn't budge, and with the snake tightly coiled ready spring like a trap, he had no choice. Miroku began to unwind the prayer beads again, sweat dripped down his brow, and his eyes were hard as stones, but before he could expose the tunnel Sango made her move.

She leapt down from the cavern wall, which she had scaled well above the massive serpents head, and bore the weapon made of bone deep in the creatures head. The serpent reared and screeched an unearthly sound, flinging its head and Sango about violently. The blood began to cascade from the savage wound and Sango took her opportunity to leap to the ground. With the creature still thrashing, she landed harshly and made it to her feat with great effort.

Miroku kept his eyes trained on Sango, painfully aware of how much danger she was in beside the wounded and thrashing creature. With one final herculean pull he dislodged his foot, scraping it painfully and leaving a good deal of skin behind. Free at last Miroku quickly made his way out of the water, careful of the beast still thrashing.

"Sango!"

She had disappeared behind the girth of the snake's tail for a moment and he was worried that that she would be crushed beneath its body. She emerged shortly after, looking triumphant holding the damn pearl. Miroku sighed, relieved and annoyed once more with the crazy old woman who sent them on this errand.

"Alright I think it's time we be going."

Not a moment later the serpent slumped into the water, dead.

They returned quickly to the shore of the lake, triumphant and battered. Yetka greeted them at the shore.

"Ah now, let me see were you successful?" She held out her long and bony fingers, expecting to have the pearl deposited. Miroku and Sango stood panting in knee deep water, leveling the woman with the full intensity of their ire. How bad would their karma be if they just chucked the pearl at the old woman's head…

Later Miroku, Sango Shippou and Kirara sat in Yetka's hut, in dry clothing and with full bellies.

"So," Miroku began resigned to the task at hand, "What is the last task?"

Yetka, who had been merrily working over a portion on the hearth smiled in way that made the other occupants of the room very uncomfortable. She did not answer him, but instead moved to take the pearl and a large, and decidedly sharp, blade over the bubbling cauldron. She carefully filed some shavings into the frothing contents of the pot, smiling all the while. As she put the pearl down she finally began to answer.

"Well let's see here, we have the Midnight Rose to spark the feelings of romance, the Great Pearl to tempt serendipity and…" Yetka suddenly seized Sango's arm before anyone could react and brought the sharp blade over the back of her hand in a shallow cut. Sango yelled out in surprise, and Miroku was on his feet ready to disarm the insane woman.

"What is the meaning of this," he thundered, and Shippou and Kirara had gone into low crouches ready to pounce. But Yetka ignored all this, and instead brought the blade over the pot and let a few drops of Sango's blood drip from the blade into it. "…and a few drops of blood from a woman in love, to ensure that the spell takes," Yetka finished eying the stewing potion with glee.

"Woman, I will ask one more time, what is going on?" Miroku demanded, as he wrenched the knife from the woman's hand with care to avoid the lethally sharp blade. Yetka finally took her eyes off her precious brew and smiled eerily.

"Why it's a love spell…" she sighed happily. Bewildered Miroku looked back at Sango, whose jaw had dropped slightly as she stared at the woman in shock. A love spell?

TT

Two brothers walked down the dimly lit halls of the castle in a determined silence. There was a way in which they walked that spoke of the heavy burdens laying on the shoulders. Over the short time they had been forced into an alliance they had begun to synchronize their efforts. Even the younger brother's brash tendencies had become tempered as he molded himself into his new role. The older brother for his part was putting himself in a new role as well. He was no longer a singular individual making every decision based solely on his own judgments. Instead he had unintentionally begun to take in the words of the boy, hanyou, the younger brother now positioned metaphorically and physically at his missing right hand.

It was a strange prospect. Now that they were entrenched with possible enemies it seemed that there quarrel was small, and trust was developing. As they turned a corner Inuyasha broke the silence.

"You think the timing is off?"

The Lord of the West showed no reaction to the question, but dully replied, "That much is obvious."

Inuyasha's ears flattened in response. "Keh, so how do we deal with it?" He idly let his hand drift to his sword, while thinking about the fact that they were surrounded by potential enemies, and everyone was distracted by the damn season. Inuyasha was well aware that every soldier under his brother's command was more interested in chasing after servant girls then being on guard against enemy attack. It had to be no coincidence that Reizo called for this meeting of The Grand Counsel during this time. Sesshomaru seemed to be in no hurry to answer his question either, for even though both brothers would deny that they were swayed by their baser instincts during this season, the evidence was there.

There was something going on between Chinatsu and Sesshomaru. It had almost surprised Inuyasha that the icy bastard was capable of being attracted to a female, but the telltale signs were vibrantly present during the morning meal. Chinatsu still vaguely smelled of Sesshomaru, and had kept close to the stoic demon the majority of the morning. If the Ice king himself was being taken in by the season then that was just a sure sign of impending disaster for the soldiers and servants. One amorous couple had already been discovered down one corridor as they walked, and they had been punished accordingly.

As the brothers continued on Inuyasha did not mind the silence that his brother offered when they were not discussing their plans. It left him with time to think about some recent revelations. He was free from the prayer beads, and he had thought he was free from his feelings for Kikyo, but then he had said her name in his sleep…It was frustrating. He wasn't even sure what was going on in his own head anymore. He was sure that his feelings for Kagome were real. He may be also experiencing some of the effects of the season, but he had feelings for her long before this, and was attracted to her long before that. And if he was being really honest with himself he wouldn't be able to deny the strong emotion he felt for her, the gripping fear he had of losing her, and as he was discovering, a consuming desire for all of her, body, mind and soul. But where did that leave him with Kikyo? At one point he had felt that he loved her as he could no other, but those feelings had cooled in the face of betrayal, and her bitter return. But was he still harboring feelings? It shouldn't be this fucking complicated!

As the moved swiftly around another bend the faint footfalls of a child could be heard. Sure enough Rin appeared panting, as she sprinted through the hall. The brothers came to halt as the child came hurtling towards them.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" the little girl cried out with relief when she saw the Western Lord, but the smell of her tears in the air created a uneasy feeling in the two dog demons. Sesshomaru placed a consoling hand on the child's head as she latched onto to his powerful leg. Then it could be heard, nothing more than a slight vibration of the air. Inuyasha barely got his hand to the hilt of his sword by the time Sesshomaru had drawn his. A hairs breath of a second later a demon clad in black appeared before them, sword unsheathed with the smell of blood clinging to him. One word flashed through the brothers' minds, _assassin_.

TT

Miroku stared with some irritation at the woman he loved. Not even her lovely face under the light of the rising moon could dissuade his frustration.

"Sango I just don't see how this is any of our business." The slim and deceptively feminine woman before him glowered at him through unimpressed eyes.

"So you just think that it is ok for us to allow this woman to affect the free will of some poor young man so he will fall in love with that witches granddaughter." Before Miroku could even answer, Sango threw up her hands and said "That's absurd. We cannot allow it!"

Miroku sighed heavily. Why did everything need to complicated!

"Sango my dear I don't really think that we should get involved, and besides I'm not sure how easy stopping her would be…" He scratched the back of his head in frustration, as he looked at his other hand which was now sporting a nasty burn from their original attempt to confiscate the love potion. That damn old woman was an incredibly crafty witch, which was probably why all the villagers seemed to allow her to do anything she wanted.

Sango grit her teeth in frustration. "Well I am not going to leave without getting that potion, so do you what you want." Well there it was, a line drawn in the figurative sand.

"Sango…" Miroku implored once more, hoping to back out of this standoff with a little logic. "We really need to get going, Inuyasha and Kagome have been on their own in the West for some time now, who knows what trouble they have gotten into, and really how bad can a love spell be? Yetka is not intending to harm anyone, so if we just…" He stopped as he realized Sango was leveling him with a stare that could melt glass. "Sango.." He started but she was already shaking her head.

"Fine you go, I'll catch up with you when I'm done." With that said she turned on her heel and stocked towards the outskirts of the village where Shippou and Kirara were seated around a fire watching over their cooking dinner. Miroku let out a groan of frustration as she walked away, too annoyed to even enjoy the image of her behind. He had thought that when he confessed his feelings for her that his frustration revolving around her would abate. It seems he forgot the inherent frustration that comes with any relationship with a woman. If celibacy wasn't such a horrific option…

TT

Kagome and Aneko moved down the hall slowly. Their chores were done and now they wanted nothing more than to pick up Rin from the servant watching her and have some dinner. Kagome didn't want to think about what was going to happen after Kagome was concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other when Aneko suddenly stopped moving. Kagome managed to keep walking by her a few feet before she noticed the absence of the chatty squirrel demon.

"Aneko…" She asked looking back at the stone cold face of her comrade.

"Blood…I smell blood," was her chilling response. Looking back down the hallway Kagome swallowed hard, and then they heard a loud crash like two swords coming into violent contact. Kagome took off running toward the noise before she could think of a smarter idea. As she turned the next bend the flickering light of the torches cast eerily against a figure lying motionless on the floor. Kagome's heart leapt up into her throat as she sprinted to the side of the fallen demon. The demon was one of the servants Kagome had worked with, a girl not much older than Aneko, but much shyer. Now she lay perfectly still with her brown eyes staring up unblinking at the ceiling as blood continued to seep from a deep cut through her throat. She was dead. Very dead.

Kagome stared on awestruck for a moment, and didn't even hear the footfalls of Aneko as she came jogging behind her. Aneko shrieked as she saw the devastation done to the girls throat. Then both girls jumped as another crash of metal resounded beyond them. Adrenalin was now surging through the girls as Kagome leapt to her feet.

"Go get help." She said urgently to Aneko, but the demon girl seemed hesitant to leave her. "Ami was the one watching Miss Rin." She said with some desperation. Kagome swallowed hard before answering, realizing that something horrible could have happened to that little girl.

"You need to hurry."

Aneko was a step down the hall when she implored again, "But Kagome your human, what can you do?"

Kagome didn't even pause this time; she was already sprinting towards the sounds of the fight. "Don't worry, just bring back up!"

She didn't know if Aneko said anything else, for blood rushed in her ears and she could only hear her own heart as she tore through the hall. She knew she had to get there, she knew something awful was about to happen. It was a feeling sunk deep into her gut, and with every painstaking stride she made, it sank deeper. As she finally tore around the last corner of the maze like hallway all the air inside her body left with a cry, "No!" She watched helplessly as a darkly clad figure with a metal mask sliced into Inuyasha, sending up a spray of blood.

TTTT

AN: alright so here is part one of this chapter…and a cliffy! Sorry but I had to do it. Hopefully I can get an update soon. I appreciate all the reviews, it helps me keep going with this story!


	15. Chapter 15

Every Dog Has His Day

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag (part 2)

Kagome felt the blood droplets land across her cheek. Blood landed in her mouth as she let out a horrified scream. Fear shot through her spine like she had been struck by lightning. She quickly brought herself to Inuyasha's side with the metallic taste of his life's blood still on her tongue.

"Inuyasha!" She cried as she skidded down to her knees to aide him in some way. Blood poured from the savage wound made from a very sharp blade. The blood was a horrible shade a deep red that curdled fear inside her.

Inuyasha visibly winced as he tried to return to his feet.

"Get out of here Kagome, "He grit out as he tried to use the Tetsusaiga as leverage to get to his feet. With trembling hands Kagome helped support him as he staggered up. He gave her a sharp look when he got to his feet, telling her without words he wanted her to get out of there now.

"I'm staying," Kagome said with stubbornness that Inuyasha knew too well. He stared hard at her for a moment, and she could see the tension in his jaw. He looked like he wanted to yell at her. But of course that would change nothing. They both knew she wasn't about to leave.

"You should go get the guards," He finally said, raising his sword again. The words were barely out of his mouth before he sprinted back to the battle. The demon assassin had parried Sesshomaru's strike, and was now attempting to disembowel him. Sesshomaru was none too pleased about it either.

How had this demon gotten in? Why was he so strong?

"I sent Aneko for help." Kagome said more to herself as she watched a single demon counter the brothers' attacks simultaneously, as if he had practiced it as some deranged dance. There was something off here, something familiar? This creature was way too strong to be a normal demon. Steeling frayed nerves Kagome looked over the demon with critical eyes, she saw the shining light only visible to those with spiritual powers. There! It was a jewel shard in the demon's chest.

"In his chest! Hit his chest!" The churning mass of bodies ignored her cries, too caught up in the clash of metal and claws to hear her. The beast of a man stopped Sesshomaru's downward strike, and still managed to spin around and nail Inuyasha in the gut with a powerful kick, that sent him sprawling back once more. As quickly as it all happened Kagome wasn't prepared for the sudden projectile Inuyasha. He bowled into her, sending both of them back to the floor. The air escaped Kagome's lungs with a painful exhale as they hit the ground. Inuyasha almost landed completely on her, but managed to duck to the aside with a demons grace to keep her from taking the full impact.

Kagome was still regaining her breath, and trying to piece together how she ended up on the ground, when Inuyasha barely passing her or glance to see that she wasn't hurt, jumped back into the fight.

Kagome wanted to get his attention to tell him about the jewel shard, but something caught her eye beyond the fighting demons. Rin, she was in the far corner of the other end of the hall before it turned down another corridor. Dropping down to her knees Kagome tried to get a better look down the long corridor. Tremors so strong that Kagome could see them her position down the hall, wracked little Rin's body.

Could she get to Rin? The girl was frozen in fear and she could get killed just sitting here. Her subconscious mind told her that she was equally at risk standing where she was on the other side of the hall. It was like standing on the edge of a volcano went it's about to blow, just standing there, looking at the hot murderous lava knowing at any minute it could overflow.

Rin's screams stopped her short. She looked up in time to see another spray of blood wash up into the air, coating the walls and floor, Sesshomaru's blood. They were in trouble. This man, this creature, was something else. His body wasn't solid like theirs. His arm grew like a black shadows at high noon, and lashed out with his strange black power, striking at the Western Lord suddenly.

Sesshomaru was wounded. A gasp came out audibly from Kagome, as she watched Sesshomaru stagger back at step. But he was determined not to moved from his position, with good reason too. Behind Sesshomaru was a very scared little girl. Kagome leaned against the wall, and slunk down. How could she get past this thing? She could see that Rin was too frightened to move, but she didn't think she could get to her either. Glancing futilely to Inuyasha, she could see that he was fighting with all of his might. He was barely keeping pace with the assassin, and the assassin was holding back both brothers.

Tetsusaiga was too large and cumbersome in the confined space of the hall, and Inuyasha was at an immediate disadvantage. The creature whipped its in-human head back towards Inuyasha as he raised his fang to strike. Another tendril of the black ink shot from the demon's chest, like a deranged third arm, hitting Inuyasha square in the chest, making a horrendous crunching sound. He was sent flying, his sword skidding from his hand. It crushed his chest. It crushed his chest. That was all Kagome could hear in her head, as all the blood rushed from her face.

Inuyasha's body hit the ground of the hall once more, and the assassin quickly turned all of his vile attention on Sesshomaru. Kagome rushed to the prone form of Inuyasha. His eyes were not open, and blood continued to come out of his wounds. The blow to his chest had done serious damage. Tears pricked Kagome's eyes as she desperately pressed her ear over his chest. His heart was beating.

Oh Kami, where was their help? Where were the guards? She couldn't hear anything but the battle. No shouts or telltale sounds of running feet.

This thing was like Naraku, it could continuously replicate. Fear gripped her as she watched Sesshomaru slice limbs from the demon, only to have them return. It seemed like it was playing with him. Kagome looked past the clashing bodies to see Rin huddled in the far corner crying and terrified. They needed help. She wanted her arrows.

She glanced up, and the one of the torches on the wall caught her eye. She ran and leapt up snagging the bone made torch from its holder. Some of the oil sloshed out from the container and burnt her arm, but she ignored the feeling and charged on the creature, willing all her energy into her arms and hands. She just needed to get in a good hit. Maybe if she could get it distracted long enough, they would have a chance. Maybe she was a fool.

"Hey ugly!" She wasn't sure why she thought the fourth grade taunt would get the demons attention away from killing the Lord of the castle, but it went ignored. Instead it thrust its sword through Sesshomaru's shoulder. The dog demon hissed in displeasure, his eyes beginning to flicker red. That was not good. She had to do something fast, before Sesshomaru's demon nature broke loose.

"Don't ignore me!" Kagome screamed, as she whipped the torch at the demon, sending the oil, and flame across the demon. Flames burst forth across the strange and stretched black figure. It whaled in pain, and whirled on the girl responsible.

The flames continued to burn, as the creature rose up above her, growing taller, his eerie red were eyes glowing through the flames that were slowly burning themselves out.

"Human bitch!" It breathed, for the first time giving a voice to the face behind the metal mask.

Shit.

She was in trouble now. She knew it still had a hold on Sesshomaru, but its form had grown so large that she could no longer see him beyond the mass of ink black, and golden flames. It whipped a black tendril out of at her suddenly and without warning. She swung the torch with all her strength to fend off the attack, but it was like a kitten batting at a Rottweiler.

She took the brunt of the blow, and pain exploded across her body. She thought she had been struck by the train, the force was so intense, but instead of crashing painfully into the ground, the demon stopped her flight across the hall, by twisting her body up in its powerful tendrils. The air was completely absent from Kagome's lungs so she couldn't even scream. Through hazy eyes she could see Sesshomaru digging into the beast with poisoned claws. This seemed to distract the creature from drawing her any closer, but it did not let go of her either. And Sesshomaru was getting closer to transforming.

This was just all going to hell in a hand basket.

Had something happened to Aneko, because they definitely should be the sounds of the Calvary coming in, flooding the halls, but no such sounds were coming? Kagome writhed in the creature's grip, half trying to escape its grip, which she knew she couldn't, and half out of despair. She almost missed the whir of red that flew by her line of sight. Inuyasha had regained consciousness. He hadn't bothered to fetch Tetsusaiga from down the hall where it was thrown, but instead savagely hacked and bit through the black tendril holding Kagome without preamble.

Kagome landed stiffly on the stone floor, and looked up gratefully at her rescuer. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his face, but she was just grateful that he was awake.

"Inuyasha, he has a jewel shard, we need to get it out of him!" Inuyasha made no move to acknowledge her but instead continued his assault, almost as if he was crazed. Looking beyond Inuyasha, Kagome could see Sesshomaru's form begin to grow. Oh no! Who knew what would happen with a fully transformed Sesshomaru in such tight quarters…actually chances were that the entire ceiling would come down on the rest of them as he changed into his second form. Kagome scrambled to her feet and ran towards the forgotten Tetsusaiga. If Inuyasha had any hope of defeating this thing before his brother complicated things he needed his sword.

She grabbed the untransformed sword and turned to race back. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were grappling with the black clad demon, both of them caught up in its never ending limbs. The demon's elongated arm holding the its own sword was cutting them here and there, causing a rain of blood to hit the floor. It even sounded like rain as it fell in droplets to the floor. They couldn't keep going on this way, they needed to end this quickly before someone got killed.

"Inuyasha take this." She tried to hand the sword off to him, while the demons head was turned towards Sesshomaru who was slowly but surely transforming despite the fact that the demon was doing everything in its power to wring the life out of him. Inuyasha did not turn to her. Instead he continued to mindless hack at the creature, and growl a low inhuman sound.

While dodging the tendrils of black ink, Kagome tried to hand the sword off again, "Here Inuyasha, take this and go for the heart, the jewel shard is in its chest!" This time Inuyasha whipped his face around, blood red eyes blazing with fury, as he snarled at her.

Kagome felt sick.

Everything inside her just tightened up like a knot. She took one step back, but still offered the sword. It waivered in her trembling hand. "Inuyasha you need to take the sword."

He lashed out knocking her down with a heavy fist. As she bit the cold hall floor the sword clattered away from her hand. Inuyasha turned his attention back on the black clad demon, and she couldn't help the small sting of betrayal she felt. Even though Inuyasha was not in control, she had never been attacked by him before in his full demon form. It was not a good feeling. He needed to regain his senses, and do that she would have to get him to take the sword. Easier said than done.

Kagome's jaw ached from where it connected with the floor, but she ignored it along with her other mounting aches and bruises. Instead she rose again, gripping the sword as tightly as she could. Even untransformed it felt heavy to her. But even heavier weighed the question, how was she going to get Inuyasha to take the sword? Anxiety was now flooding Kagome's already overtaxed system, and her knees shook slightly. She nervously looked for the little girl who had been cowering in the corner, but she was not there! Kagome froze, where had Rin gone? She ducked lower to get a better look behind the swirling mass of bodies locked in battle. Kagome spied the girl, thankfully, but she had gotten up and was now looking down the other hall. What was she looking at? Kagome panicked, worrying that another assassin may have infiltrated the castle.

Rin began walking out of sight, and Kagome's cry of "No!" was lost in the noise of the battle.

Then something strange began to happen…

Leafy vines began to wind out from the hall that Rin had disappeared. They moved like snakes across the wall and ceiling. What the hell? Kagome was the only one to notice him, as everyone else was…occupied.

Sudden movement drew Kagome's attention from the spreading vines, as the assassin suddenly threw both brothers violently and pinned them to the wall. The brothers fought back, slashing and hacking at the offending appendages, but they couldn't be stopped. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were being crushed .

Kagome began to feel the familiar tingle of power. She glanced down at her hands, still holding the sword in its untransformed state, and there was a bright blue glow surrounding them. And a thought trilled through her. Could she use the sword to purify the demon? She didn't stop to give it much thought before the vines had suddenly lashed out and grabbed the assassin, pinning him against the same wall he held his captives. This was it! Taking every bit of courage and resolve within her, Kagome charge foreword, wielding the sword more like a baseball bat in her inexperience, and stabbed the sword home. Hardly believing that she had managed to pierce the creature's heart, she looked up to see his bloody red eyes focus sharply on her in surprise. Blood trickled out from the wound and down the sword, soaking Kagome's hands red. The creature never blinked as his hellish eyes bore into her, but It lasted only a second, and she could taste the acridness of her own fear. The assassins eyes narrowed and its elongated arms released the brothers, and instead began to spread and fold over her like a fallen angels' wings. Kagome steeled herself, and swallowed the last remnants of her fear before letting the tingling and burning blue power flow through the sword. Everything went black.

TT

A cool refreshing air smoothed over Kagome's blood speckled and weary face. The girl could hardly breathe as her knees hit the cold hard stone. The assassin was destroyed. Obliterated really, judging by the size of the hole in the castle that now lay before her. There was some trees, and a gray sky. Looks like rain, she thought absently.

She felt like all of herself had flowed out through her when she purified that demon. She had just wanted to stop it so badly…And she did stop it. She swallowed, finding her mouth dry, and her tongue heavy. A small twinkling on the stone floor caught her eye. It was the jewel shard. Tentatively she picked it up between her forefinger and thumb. Oh the havoc these little things caused.

"That girl…she's…a priestess?"

Kagome turned her head slowly, too drained to be concerned. She looked on dispassionately at Lady Chinatsu who was holding Rin in her arms at the end of the hall.

Sesshomaru stood by her side, his demonic nature under control once more. "Yes. "He answered simply.

Chinatsu looked at Kagome nervously, before looking back to Sesshomaru for further explanation. Clearly she hadn't known him that long if she thought he was going to elaborate.

"Kagome killed the bad man?" Rin asked hopefully, while continuing to hold on tightly to the demoness. Kagome smiled a small smile and shrugged. It appeared that way.

"Yes Rin, he is gone," Her lord supplied more delicately than one would think he was capable.

Now where was Inuyasha? He didn't appear to be blasted out the wall. She suspiciously followed the trail of vines, which appeared to have grown out from the ground that Chinastu was standing on. They snaked their way across the ground and past Kagome. Turning to look all the way to her left, Kagome felt he stomach clench. There was Inuyasha, pinned by vines, furious, and most assuredly full demon. "Inuyasha…" She whispered. Gathering herself, Kagome staggered to her feet. She needed him to take the sword.

Then the long awaited sounds of the guards coming could be heard. Kagome froze. She quickly glanced back to Sesshomaru whose face appeared to have hardened.

"He cannot be seen in this state." The demon lord said in a tone that had the three females in the hall looking at him nervously. While Sesshomaru turned his attention to Chinatsu, Kagome walked closer to the thrashing Inuyasha. He was so bloody and ferocious, it was hard to think that this was her Inuyasha. Not that he was the gentlest soul…but he wasn't this, not this mindless beast.

"Inuyasha, please. It's me Kagome." She turned the sword, so that the hilt was facing up, and slowly began to offer it to him. His blood red eyes bored into her, it was like he wanted to tear her apart. Why were tears gathering at the corners of her eyes? That's stupid, she was being stupid.

"Here." She pushed the sword into reaching distance of his vine bound hands. For a moment he seemed to focus on the sword, then back to her pleading face, but with a particularly vicious snarl he lunged against his binds, and sent Kagome back sprawling.

The sting of hurt both emotional and physical almost moved her to tears. She was pretty sure her back was every shade of black and blue already. She got up slowly from her prone position, but was startled to see the vine wrapped Inuyasha being dragged through the hole in the wall that she had created. She turned back to look at Sesshomaru questionably.

"Girl you will go with him, and return him to his normal state." There was no room for argument, he seemed troubled. Sesshomaru was really concerned about everyone knowing that Inuyasha was not in control of himself. The sounds of the guards were so close now.

"Go."

Kagome scrambled to her feet and looked down the ledge. Inuyasha had been deposited at the bottom, one story below. How was she going to get down there?

"Eep!" Kagome stared in shock as the vines wrapped securely around her legs and began lowering her down. Inuyasha had moved off and was eyeing his brother and Chinatsu with distrust, lips curled in a snarl. As Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and Chinatsu, Sesshomaru stared at her sharply.

"You will bring him back to his sense quickly." Sesshomaru commanded, before nodding to Chinatsu. The Lady seemed to give Kagome a sympathetic look, before thick wooden vines began to close the opening, sealing the castle shut once more.

Bring him to his sense quickly, and how exactly was she supposed to do that if he wouldn't take the sword willingly? Kagome looked behind her nervously. Inuyasha's demonic face was turned up to the air, taking in the smells, but he apparently found something he didn't like in the direction of the south end of the castle. He let out a low growl, and took off suddenly, running off into the woods.

"Are you serious right now?" Kagome suddenly felt very alone. She had been sealed out of the castle, and the unstable and volatile Inuyasha, had even taken off.

"Errrgh!" With one final show of frustration, Kagome kicked her black and blue behind into gear and took off running after the possibly homicidal Inuyasha, rusty old sword in tow.

As she hit the tree line Kagome looked back towards the castle, there was no one coming to help her. Good thing she wore her big girl panties today…

With one last mental curse to demon politics she slipped into the darkening woods. It was getting towards dusk, and it was cool in the woods. Goosebumps immediately rose on her skin as she stepped through the dense foliage. How in the world was she going to find Inuyasha? If he just kept running there was no way that she could keep pace with him. Pushing past heavy ferns Kagome once again cursed the loss of the prayer bead necklace. At least she could have sat him and kept him in one place long enough to put the sword back in his hand. Why was everything so difficult!

"Ow!" Kagome cried as she stubbed her toe but good on a large root jutting out. Stormy eyes glared at the ancient tree, its massive trunk stood unmoved by her heated stare, as if it had nothing better to do than silently mock her. Glaring at the old wide tree, there appeared to be a shallow mark on its trunk. Four scratches had been made, recently. Lifting a dainty hand to the surface she let her fingers run over the grooves. What kind of animal could make a mark like that? She had an idea…

A green leaf fell across her eyes startling her from her wandering. Kagome licked her chapped lips nervously. Allowing her eyes to travel up the aged bark, she swallowed down the icky feeling she had. A shock of red made her stop fast. High above her, standing menacingly on a large branch was Inuyasha. His red eyes burned into hers. He didn't appear very pleased to be followed, in fact he looked like he want to shred her to pieces, with his claws drawn visciously.

"Easy Inuyasha…" She near whispered, like he was a hungry lion about to pounce. Accept since he was a lot stronger than a lion, maybe she needed to come up with an even better strategy than trying to talk to him…Like now that he was crouching down, getting ready to leap, she should be doing something…

Running, definitely running. Kagome spun on her toes and took off. She heard the soft thud of a crazed demon landing on the ground.

TT

Kagome pounded through the forest, leaping and ducking, and feeling that she had done this exact same scenario not too long ago…Only thing was, running from her Inuyasha, and the full demon version had slightly different stakes. Okay game plan, she needed a game plan. Game plan? Err…Ducking around a large spruce tree, Kagome admitted to herself she really didn't like sports metaphors all that much…and that perhaps while fleeing for her life she shouldn't be thinking of metaphors at all… Nervously she thought back to the night she tried to go home to take her test, the night she broke the subduing necklace, the night that put all these events in motion really. If she had been able to outrun him that night, and never broke the necklace, she wouldn't be doing this right now. That damn necklace!

Despairingly Kagome realized that she was also not in nearly as good shape as she was that first night she tried to run. This time her body was bruised and fatigued. So back to Inuyasha vs Kagome algebra. If girl X takes off from point A at so so speed, while crazed demon Y takes off from point A at the same time, what are the chances of girl X outrunning demon Y?

Zero. That's right, zero.

Kagome knew she couldn't outrun Inuyasha, but her brain had yet to supply a better idea. And how was she going to get Inuyasha to revert back if she was busy fleeing for her life? And if she stopped fleeing did she have enough time before he tried to kill her to give him the sword? There were way too many unknowns.

She forged ahead blindly. The forest was a cool dark space, and shadows appeared everywhere looking menacing. Kagome stopped finally so out of breath she couldn't continue. Her paints were the only noise she could hear, but that didn't mean that Inuyasha wasn't nearby. She turned staring out into the dense forest, turning herself completely around. No telltale flash of red. Had he not followed? Oh crap. He could be miles away by now, she was so stupid! Okay granted she was in the midst of running for her life she should have made sure that he was actually following!

That made absolutely no sense.

"Ugh." Kagome groaned in frustration, fear, worry and just generally being fed up with everything that had been happening. Casually stepping back to get a better view of the trees surrounding her, Kagome's heel snagged on small fallen tree, sending her back on to her bottom.

"Ow! How many times is going to happen in one day!" She cried to no one, or anyone who could be bothered to listen. The problem was that someone was listening. From her new angle on the floor of the forest Inuyasha's crouched figure could be seen high in a branch of one of the trees, where he had been undoubtedly following her since she took off. Well at least she knew where he was now. But about that pesky little staying alive concept…

The demon dropped out of the trees, landing without a sound, and proceeded to stock slowly in her direction. And just to give her no delusions that he was coming over with good intentions, his fangs were bared and he was looking at her the way someone might look at a insect that they just really wanted to squish. Unconsciously she began to move backwards, but the quick bunching of his muscles spurred her on faster. Turning over quickly she began to crawl under the tall brambly bushes. A sharp and painful grip on her ankle had her chanting in her head, _please don't do this please! _It couldn't end like this. Even as she felt the bite of his sharp nails on her ankle, she wasn't willing to give up.

She kicked back hard. She barely registered that she had made contact, with something soft and most likely between his legs, before she scrambled under the bush, pushing through to the other side. Making it to the other side shock filled her at the sight of enormous thorn bushes, it stretched as far as she could see. She didn't have much time to think about it, as her would be murderer was crashing through the brush behind her. Crawling desperately, she ducked and twisted till she was under the warped branches of thorns. The deadly thorns were as big as the palm of her hand, and it felt like being incased in needles, but Inuyasha wasn't following. In fact he was growling and attempting to claw at the thick thorns to get to her, but he only damaged his hands in the process. He was furious.

Kagome tried to ignore the growls, and slunk and dragged herself on her belly through the mass of twisted thorns. They snagged her hair and clothing, scraping her chilled skin. Even worse was trying to maneuver the sword with her. She pushed on till the sounds of Inuyasha trying to get through the brush ceased. Panting, Kagome waited nervously for some sign that he was suddenly going to hack his way through to her. Time passed, and the sound of her heavy thudding heart and a distant crow cawing were the only things to be heard. This wasn't getting her anywhere. She would eventually have to leave the thorned bushes, and he was undoubtedly waiting for her on the perimeter.

Slowly she began to find her way back. Catching herself here and there, drawing small lines of blood on her skin. This was possibly one of the stupidest things she had ever done. But she had to try something, and hiding under a bunch of over grown thorns wasn't really trying anything. It was hiding. Maybe she could try talking to him again. He was like a wild animal in this form, so maybe if she just showed him that she meant no harm she could get close enough to him give him the sword and this nightmare would be over. That was a really optimistic attitude she decided. Especially since Inuyasha hadn't appeared to see her as all that threatening, more like a new toy he could sharpen his claws on.

She was close enough to the edge of the thorn filled field to see the grass on the outside. Did she really want to continue? Her eyes trailed to the sword she had clutched out in front of her. If Inuyasha was in her place he wouldn't even hesitate, he would just rush in, consequences be damned. Her fingers tightened around the hilt. Well alright then.

Emerging from the snarling mass of thorn bushes Kagome did not immediately see Inuyasha. Casually leaning against a tree he was as inconspicuous as anyone could be wearing bright red, radiating murderous vibes. She was actually tiredly righting herself to her feet before she caught sight of him. She inhaled sharply. He pushed off the trees smirking, with his clawed hands clenching with the excitement of a sure kill.

A knot formed in Kagome's throat so large that it was painful to swallow it down.

"Inuyasha" She rasped.

Okay this was it, just talk to him in a calm voice, like talking to a wild animal. Inuyasha was moving slowly towards her sizing her up, and Kagome really just wanted to duck back into the thorns.

"Okay Inuyasha, good boy," She made a slow placating gesture with the hand not clutching the sword. He snarled in response.

A strong breeze blew hard against her back, ruffling her hair. "Inuyasha, I'm your friend." She tried again. "You don't really want to hurt me." She took a breath, "In fact you might be really sad about it later." She offered the sword again, "So just take hold of this pretty shiny stick and we can be friends again."

Inuyasha had stopped his approach, and Kagome stood nervously. Why had he stopped? Was he actually considering what she said? Because she really didn't think that was actually going to work…

The demon in question tilted his head suddenly, eyeing her strangely. Suddenly he moved, before she could even think to flee, the heat of his body was flush against her back. She screamed. She felt his body jolt against hers startled by the sound and her head was suddenly tugged to the left accompanied by an odd shearing noise.

Then the heat of his body disappeared as suddenly as it had come, and Inuyasha leapt lightly back to the spot he had been standing. Kagome stared in shock. What in the hell just happened? Inuyasha looked at her with unreadable eyes, and raised a small black lock of hair to his nose and inhaled. Kagomes hand darted she the side of her head. He didn't… But sure enough she felt the missing couple of inches.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She screamed before thinking. He only continued to stare at her with his eerie red eyes, sniffing at her poor kidnapped lock of hair.

"You can't just go snatching girls hair you know!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Bitch." He said with satisfaction in a gravely inhuman voice.

He spoke. Kagome was shocked. But then she realized what he actually said.

"You can't say that!" She pointed a finger at him in frustration from fried nerves.

He paid her no mind, but still kept that smirk about his face. Looking at her like he finally found the missing puzzle piece. Then he snorted as if amused by all that transpired and walked off into the darkness of the woods. Kagome's jaw dropped open like she was catching flies. What in seven hells was going on! Her jaw trembled closed. He left? He tried to kill her, chased her, cut her _hair_ and called her a name, and now he just left. He just freakin left! She struggled to calm herself, because if Inuyasha wasn't in all grrr mode right now she would seriously open up a can of whoop ass on him. A moment passed. Was he really not coming back?

"I'm not following you, I'm not going back into the woods." She called out into the darkness. Only the quiet answered her back. With a groan of frustration she cast her eyes heavenward as if asking for some assistance. Receiving no answer she stocked off into the woods.

TT

Everything was dark and stretched out like midnight ghouls in the shadows. All the trees, with their moss coverings, appeared dangerous and foreign in the twilight. Her shoes slipped on mossy rocks here and there, and she felt the gossamer net of spiders webs as she tried to navigate her way through.

"Inuyasha" She called out. Eyes glued to the darkened tree limbs, looking for any sign of movement. What in the world had made him stop coming after her? It's not as if she wasn't grateful, but she found it very odd.

A small twig was snapped to her right. Kagome stopped short, holding her breath and listening intently for anything that would let her know Inuyasha was out there somewhere. Only silence answered her. It was if the forest itself was quietly waiting for everything to unfold.

If she couldn't get him to transform back what would happen? Sesshomaru seemed more than a little concerned back at the castle. Would he kill him? Kagome's brow creased with even more worry. Sesshomaru wouldn't let a dangerous Inuyasha run loose on his land. There was no way. She really needed to find him and turn him back.

She walked on, trembling from the cold now. The temperature had dropped several degrees since she had begun her search, and now her skin was raised with goose bumps, and if she didn't hold her jaw tight it would tremble. Using the arm not holding the sword, she wrapped it around herself trying to gain some warmth, and she maneuvered herself under a low branch.

Coming to the other side she spotted the red clothing she had been looking for in earnest. Rushing foreword Kagome walked up to the haori, draped on a low tree branch. Easily reaching the cloak Kagome pulled it down and clutched it to her chest, enjoying the smell of him. But where was Inuyasha? He had just left this lying here, it didn't make any sense.

"Inuyasha?" She called out hesitantly. She scanned the trees, looking up into their covered branches, waiting to see some movement, a flash of silver hair or red pants, anything to tell her where he was. She saw nothing.

Holding the coat tight she slowly moved foreword, keeping her eyes cast upwards. As more shivers racked her body she considered putting on the robe. What could it hurt? It would keep at least one of her hands free anyway. She slowly put down the sword, and began wrapping herself in the still warm fire rat coat. Without realizing it Kagome sighed in relief as the coat kept the chill in the air at bay.

Rustling from one of the branches directly above her brought her attention to the trees limbs heavy with leaves. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, but she couldn't see anything. She hastily picked up the sword again. Even not know how to use it; she felt better having it in her hand.

"Inuyasha, are you there?"

There was a scrapping sound, like nails being drawn slowly over the bark, coming from somewhere up above.

"Inuyasha?" She called, this time more fear had crept into her voice. The unknown was a scary thing. There was no answer again. She began to move on, nervously. In the dark she heard more rattles, and scrapes, and breaking twigs but Inuyasha never appeared. She started quickening her pace, beginning to fear that there was something else in these woods to fear and it had found her. Moving swiftly Kagome crossed to a clearing, but as she reached the center she heard a sharp snap! A branch had been broken to her left. Her wide eyes shot to the area the sound had come from. She saw nothing. Maybe a squirrel. The rustling of bushes in front of her drew her eyes front and center. Her heard pounded painfully. Maybe it was a raccoon. The unmistakable sound of something scraping against a tree drew her attention to the right. Her hands now visibly shook. Maybe it was deer scraping its antlers…Kagome clenched her jaw to try and stop trembling, as she heard the sounds of something large coming out of the forest behind her.

Turning slowly Kagome came face to face with Inuyasha. Kagome yelped and began stepping back from the demon all but a foot from her.

"Inuyasha, hey," She licked her lips. Searching for her courage, wherever it had run off to.

"You know me, I'm Kagome." He merely tilted his head, baring an impressive set of fangs. Bile was rising in her throat. She just needed to get him to take the sword, and then they could make their way to castle…

…where they could be potentially killed by any number of enemies.

Right. And why was that still her plan?

"Here…" She extended the sword again, hilt first. He snapped suddenly, growling and snagging her wrist in a bone splintering grip, before Kagome could even react he had snatched her by her jaw. He shoved the arm he had hold of down, forcing the blade of the sword she still had hold of, into the earth.

"Inuya…" But his grip tightened on her face, cutting off her startled whimper. What was he going to do? Was he really going to kill her? Why hadn't he done it in when she came out of the thorn bush?

A moment passed, and when nothing happened Kagome slowly opened her eyes.

Inuyasha had not lost any of fierce appearance, but grip on her jaw loosened, and Kagome was sure there were bruises on her face. Why had he stopped? He was usually so out of control in his demon form…but now, it seemed as though he was studying her. What had changed?

Inuyasha inhaled deeply, and Kagome watched mesmerized as a grin took up residence on his face again. His hand shot foreword once more, snagging two fingers into the folds of the front of her yukata, he pulled her towards him. His restraining hand on the arm that had been holding Tetsuaiga's hilt forcibly dislodged her grip. Drawing her in like a cobra hypnotizing its prey. Kagome could only stare in bewilderment as his face dropped nearer to hers, his jaw pressed against hers, and then he inhaled. He was sniffing her!

She tried to take a quick step backward, and again he prevented it. The fingers that had pulled her over, had now become a hardened fist wrapped in the front of her clothes, giving her no delusions that he was about to let her walk away. His hot breath tickled her neck. Kagome was shocked to feel the heat of attraction shoot through her. Where was the sword?

Birds sprung up from one of the bushes on the outskirts of the clearing, drawing Inuyasha's immediate attention to the area. Kagome took this opportunity to reach backwards, still tangled up in Inuyasha's grip, but groping for the hilt of the sword. Maybe she could shove it into his hands, and just hope that he comes to his senses before striking her down. Her searching fingers finally found the worn wrappings of the hilt, and She grasped it like a lifeline. With one strong tug she unsheathed it from the ground. Only the sudden action brought Inuyasha's attention back to her with such fervor, that Kagome didn't even know what hit her. The sudden action of pulling the sword must have seemed threatening to Inuyasha, because he reacted like she was holding a bomb. The sword was torn from her grip, thrown far, far, off, and Kagome saw stars. Long before she could even register what happened Kagome was on the flat of her back, air knocked clean out of her, with an iron fisted hand at her already bruised neck. Inuyasha raged in her face, his blood red eyes burning holes into hers. The air around them crackled with energy, and Kagome struggled to breathe. "No…" The air cut off as he pressed harder, and Kagome was struck with the realization that he was contemplating killing her now. It was clear in his eyes.

TT

Alright another cliffy…so I think I might have been inspired to write this chapter based on all the trailers for that Red Riding Hood movie, that and I listened to the song by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs "Little Red Riding Hood." Really old song, but if you listen to it you might understand how it inspired me. Also next chapter is already partially written, but I was thinking of adding a sort of bonus short chapter…basically it would be the woods scene in this one, but from Inuyasha's perspective. Please review, thank you to everyone sticking with this story!


	16. Bonus Chapter

Every Dog Has His Day

Bonus Scene

AN: Okay so I realize that it has been a while…ok a long while, but I am back now and will hopefully be able to crank out the rest of this story before spring. I want to thank everyone who hasn't given up on this scene is taken from chapter 15. I wrote it from Kagome's perspective but I really wanted to write it from Inuyasha's as well. So Enjoy!

TT

Light. Bright light and a hiss of potent spiritual power. He hissed in anger. Danger was all around him. As the purifying light faded, he found his limbs bound by demonic vines, powerful enough to hold him immobile. His chest swelled with rage, as he focused on the two demons across the room.

One was a female who seemed to control the vines, and the other was an alpha male. Inuyasha growled low in his throat. The male was a threat. His strength was obvious, and the demon female deferred to him, clearly his bitch. She held a pup in her arms though, and that gave Inuyasha a sense of heightened danger. The other male would kill him to ensure the protection of his pup and bitch.

The demoness spoke, "That girl…she's…a priestess?"

Inuyasha eyes dropped to focus on the small young female on her knees between him and the alpha. She was young, but not a pup. Her frailty however, was apparent to him. Not finding her a threat his attention was drawn back to the alpha male, who spoke. The male was keeping his attention on the human female; perhaps he was considering taking her into the pack. Inuyasha blocked out their words, concentrating instead on getting free. He was in much too vulnerable position.

As he worked and concentrated on freeing himself by trying to work his sharp claws into the thick tough vine, he heard the pup speak distantly in the background.

"Kagome killed the bad man?"

The vines would not budge, no matter the force he applied. Rage built in his chest.

"Yes Rin, he is gone," The alpha male supplied, drawing Inuyasha's attention back to his biggest threat. While his eyes were boring a hole into the alpha, the small human female slowly turned her attention to him. He barely noted her battered body stiffening as she laid eyes on him.

"Inuyasha…" She whispered. The words that fell from the female's mouth barely registered in Inuyasha's fury addled brain. But her words did sound vaguely familiar. It was not important however. There were more important things to worry about, like getting free, killing the alpha if he could…and that was just to start. The frail female suddenly staggered up, and began approaching him. He tore his attention from the alpha to view this female. She approached him with a weapon, and he snarled in response. What was this! Was he thought so weak an enemy that they would send this little waif to be his slayer?

He could hear the footfalls of others coming before the female, and he clamped down on a thin string of anxiety that crept down his spine. He needed to get the fuck out of here. The female must have finally picked up on the sounds of running feet for she paused and looked toward the hall that echoed of running feet.

"He cannot be seen in this state." The demon alpha said in a tone that had the three females in the hall looking at him nervously.

As the slightly trembling and weary eyed female drew close and extended a metal object that smelled of rust he lunged at her hard, daring her to move closer.

"Inuyasha, please. It's me Kagome."

"Here" His sudden surge took the female by surprise and she stumbled back to land in a heap on the floor. How weak and uncoordinated a creature? Surely the other demon could see that she was useless. He snorted once, to clear his nostrils of the scent of her salty tears brimming at the corner of her wide human eyes. They disturbed him.

He didn't have much time to think about the frail pathetic human, because the vines that bound him begin pulling him, brining him to the hole made in fortress of stone. The scent of fresh air filled his nostrils. What was this? Bringing him outside to kill him? Keh…the alpha fucker probably didn't want to ruin the floor with his blood. Muscles bunched and tightened as Inuyasha prepared for what could be a nasty fight.

The alpha spoke, just as the vines began lowering him towards the ground. He kept his eyes locked onto the demon even as he spoke to the frail female."Girl you will go with him, and return him to his normal state."

As soon as he was on the ground the vines loosened and Inuyasha backed up suspiciously. The human peeked her little head over the side, but he saw no sign of the alpha or the damn vines. Slowly he began to walk back, keenly aware of the deep woods behind him, and he longed to take off and get the fuck outta here. Let the alpha keep the bitches, he didn't fucking need them. But even as he thought it he was oddly reminded of the frail one's eyes. His lip curled unconsciously as he glared up towards the opening where the alpha and his females stood.

The frail one suddenly let out a sound and the vines enwrapped her as well.

"Eep!"

Inuyasha was suspicious of this move by the alpha; he was putting his bitch into a vulnerable position. Was he trying to provoke a fight by using the female as bait? Fucked up.

"You will bring him back to his sense quickly." Sesshomaru commanded, before nodding to Chinatsu. The Lady seemed to give Kagome a sympathetic look, before thick wooden vines began to close the opening, sealing the castle shut once more.

Inuaysha watched suspiciously as thick vines began to close off the alpha and his female from the outside. The frail one stood staring as well, her back to him, and a perfect opportunity to strike her down. Not that she was much of a threat…lifting his head he took in her scent, enjoying the way it rolled over his senses. He could practically taste her silky skin. But before he could process it completely his nose was assaulted with another smell, powerful males were in the castle, and moving in his direction. Their power sent chills along his skin. He instinctively knew he could not survive in fight against such powerful forces. Why was there a group of powerful demons here, surely they would see each other as competition and not pack! There could only be one alpha. He growled low in his throat, and fled into the woods. Screw this.

Inuyasha tore off into the dense foliage, letting the ripe smell of aged wood and dirt wash over him in needed relief. He did not like feeling threatened. It was contrary to his nature. He was an apex predator, master of his domain. He wanted to rip something's guts out. Growling fiercely to himself he stopped short, snagging four claws into the bark of a nearby tree in frustration. How humiliating! To be bound and then set off to flee like a wounded pup! Before he could further express his anger on the hapless oak tree the unmistakable sounds of a clumsy creature could be heard rumbling through the woods behind him. Smirking he pulled himself up into the high branches of the tree. Whatever creature they had sent after him was not powerful like the creatures he sensed back on the alpha's land. This creature would feel the wrath of his humiliation and rage.

As the cacophony of sound drew closer he prepared to face what stupid creature had dared to follow him. A familiar benign smell filled his nostrils. The human female? Inuyasha leaned against one of the large branches of the tree and waited. Without fail the female came tromping through the undergrowth, panting and letting off fear scent in waves. The uncoordinated creature stumbled over the root of the very tree Inuyasha sat in, how unfortunate for her…

He shifted, gaining a better look at her flush face, and causing a single leaf to fall from the branch. He watched it drift down, turning in the small air currents of the woods, before finally passing the human's fine eyes. Inuyasha smirked; let the fun begin. He flexed his claws just in time for the human to throw her eyes skyward and spy him in all his menacing state.

"Easy Inuyasha…" She near whispered, like he was hungry lion about to pounce. The female should have known better than to follow him. He couldn't understand why this female would be so stupid, but he was certainly was going to find out. He crouched low, ready to leap down and "investigate" this little creature. She took off running. What fun…

TT

He followed stealthily from the canopy, enjoying the chase though the prey was not exactly presenting a challenge. The female seemed tired and injured, another reason that made her attempt to follow him stranger, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. His pride was wounded by being restrained then sent off by the other alpha, this was his chance to unwind…sharpen his claws a bit.

He kept pace with her easily and silently, and apparently the little creature eventually thought that she had escaped him for she slowed to a halt and looked around.

"Ugh."

A strange and unfeminine noise escaped the female. Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. Was she frustrated that he wasn't behind her? Weird…

The female continued to look around until she ungracefully tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground in a heap. Inuyasha crouched low preparing to leap, his prey drive heightened as she lay directly below him like a delightful morsel.

"Ow! How many times is going to happen in one day!" The female cried to no one, or anyone who could be bothered to listen. Though she probably had not suspected that someone was indeed listening. Her doe like brown eyes managed to stray to his position in the branches, and they widened in fear. Inuyasha could not suppress his smirk; the female was strewn enticingly on the ground and he was left with some conflicting desires. Well regardless of what path he took he would first need to gain possession of the creature. He stalked slowly up to her, sizing her up slowly, and keeping an eye on the weapon still tight in her grip. Perhaps killing was the easiest solution. As the thought crosses his mind the female began to scurry away, seeming to understand his thoughts. Quickly Inuyasha snagged her by the ankle, intent on drawing her back to him. The creature panicked in return, and to his great surprise landed a blow in a very sensitive spot.

Pain coiled tightly in his nether regions and he cursed the wily bitch for catching him off guard. The female on the other hand managed to squirm and slip and slither under the thorns. He attempted at first to follow her, but she had secured herself from him for the time being and he could do nothing but wait. She would come out eventually.

When the creature finally crept from the thorns she was stupid enough to draw the weapon with her. He stayed leaning against the tree, ready to rip the little bitches throat out or fuck her, or maybe both. She came out shaking like a leaf and didn't spy him right away, so he let a smug smile cross his face before stepping away from the tree.

"Inuyasha" She rasped.

He ignored her noises and continued to approach, mindful of the sword pointed his way.

"Okay Inuyasha, good boy," The female tried. He snarled in response.

A strong breeze blew hard against her back, ruffling her hair. "Inuyasha, I'm your friend." She tried again. "You don't really want to hurt me." She took a breath, "In fact you might be really sad about it later." She offered the sword again, "So just take hold of this pretty shiny stick and we can be friends again."

Inuyasha tilted his head as the breeze blew the females scent to him. More than the fleeting whiffs of her, this was a strong waft of her essence. Her delicate female smell was there with another distinct scent. Could it be?

Quickly he flew at her, shearing a lock of soft black hair and then returned to his place standing across from her. The female was screeching, but he was focused on the delicious mix of scents lingering over the female's hair. It was her own scent but laced deeply with what were traces of his own…

He may not recognize the female at the moment, but one thing was clear. She was his.

"Bitch."

TT

Please read/review! I have Chapter 16 partially written so look for an update soon!


	17. Chapter 16 part 1

Chapter 16

Part 1

Twitterpated

AN: Here is the first part of Chapter 16. This was another chapter that just kept getting away from me. It just kept growing and growing and I keep re-writing sections. The first section was done, so instead of making people wait until I was happy with the chapter as whole I split it up. So enjoy! I will have the other section up soon.

TT

As he raged in her face she shrank into the earth, trying to disappear, sure that a sharp claw or fang was going to puncture her flesh. Silly her, she should have just held off on giving him the sword. It wasn't so bad when he was just sniffing her. She curled in tight, twisting her head to the side with her eyes screwed shut all the while whispering to him, pleading with him to stop, to come back to his senses. She felt the weight of him looming over her and the pressure of his claw scraping into the earth beside her head. She felt the sprigs of cool grass against her own trembling flesh. She felt all this and waited.

But as a minute dragged on she heard his growls begin to taper off and ventured to peek out through her lashes. He was still vicious looking, but he perhaps not so murderous. Slowly she ventured to turn her head to get a better look at him, but he snarled again and without preamble brought his teeth down on her neck.

Kagome stopped breathing. She was going to die. He was going to kill her and no one would know what happened to her. Her family her friends would go on wondering for years before finally giving up hope…

She trailed off from her frantic and self-pitying thoughts as she realized that the teeth scraping against the corded muscle of her neck were not piercing her skin. No river of blood was flowing, but instead she was being held there. His teeth were sharp, and she was distinctly aware of how vulnerable she was. She could not fight him and so she let herself go limp, submitting to him without reserve.

This was apparently exactly what he desired as it was only a few moments later that he let his grip on her slacken and eventually removed his mouth from her neck, but not before lapping at her neck with his hot damp tongue. Kagome's eyes shot open. Inuyasha was looking at her now, much more calmly, with his mouth still slightly ajar as he rolled the flavor of her around on his tongue. How delightful.

He had been putting her in her place. Her reach for the weapon must have been seen as aggressive act and he forced her to submit. How doggish. Or wolfish really. It all sounded like something she had seen in a nature documentary in biology class. Okay, well now that he wasn't trying to kill her anymore back to the plan. Where did he throw the sword? Somewhere to her right. She peered to her right but he must have thrown the sword out of the clearing for it was nowhere in sight and she couldn't see past the thick foliage at the edge of the clearing.

Inuyasha's eyes stayed on her observing her, now confident that he understood his connection to the female and had successfully reminded her of her place in the pack. Kagome turned her attention back to him just as he was leaning in once more to sniff intently at her neck and for the first time she realized how tightly his left hand held her hip.

"Inuyasha?"

His hot breath caressed her skin and she felt his tongue lathe her pulse point once more. This time it seemed more confident. Kagome raised her hand to his chest in an effort to push him back.

"Inuyasha, hey I'm glad your not trying to kill me anymore but um could you…"

She trailed off as he began moving from her neck to her collarbone, parting the fabric of her clothes, revealing more of her cleavage as he did. Seriously? He decides that he doesn't want her dead and immediately decides that this is the other option? How about some middle ground!? Kagome felt spikes of dread spread through her. She was reminded of the night Inuyasha had wanted to implement his plan to protect her. She had begged him to stop and he had. But this was a different situation.

His mouth made its way from her collarbone to the swell of her breasts and Kagome jerked as unbidden heat flooded all the way down to her toes and began to settle in her lower abdomen. Her nipples hardened into twin peeks against the fabric of her chest bindings.

"Inuyasha that enough!" She said it more sharply this time and apparently Inuyasha did not like her tone or assertive behavior for he growled low in his throat and glowered at her briefly before continuing his perusal of her chest.

His grip on her was tight and Kagome was beginning to feel some serious anxiety flood through her limbs. What if she couldn't stop him? She could admit with some shame that her body was responding to him, but she did not want to do this. Not with him like this. Not in the middle of some field. She wasn't ready! Why was this such an issue lately! Was it too late to invest in a chastity belt?

Her hand kept a steady pressure on his chest in her attempt to push him away but he didn't even react and for her it was like trying to move a car.

"Stop, please just stop," she gritted out through clenched teeth, now pouring every ounce of strength into pushing him off.

Inuyasha continued to ignore her and as his right hand migrated to her breast and was holding it firmly, testing its weight in his greedy hand, all the while moving his greedy mouth south. Following the curves of her body down, he seemed transfixed on his task. He pressed an open mouthed kiss to her stomach as he parted her robes further. Her chest bindings were still in place, but now her parted yukata was only covering her lower region. As he moved even further south, Kagome gave up on try to push him away and instead took to trying to squirm out of his grasp with both her hands plated firm on the ground pushing for all she was worth. Inuyasha merely brought his right hand down to her hip as well and held her so securely in place that it hardly seemed like she was trying to escape.

He deep not seem the least bit deterred by her resistance, instead he licked at the sensitive skin below her navel and began to nuzzle the fabric blocking his path away. While this was happening Kagome was in a quandary as to whether she should kick him in the balls or if that would just restart the whole him wanting to kill her fiasco. The other option was to lose her virginity to vicious, instinct driven, fully demonic version of her Inuyasha, so it seemed like ball kicking was the way to go. Her conundrum was halted however as a deep rumbling growl broke through the haze her panic and his lust respectively.

The growl came from her stomach and both people in the field seemed equally surprised. Kagome stopped trying to squirm away and Inuyasha lifted his head from her stomach to meet her gaze. They stared at each other for a long moment before Inuyasha lifted a single silver eyebrow, as it if to ask her, "really?"

But whatever haze had fallen over him had lifted and his hold on her hips slackened. Quickly Kagome pulled at her robes and pushed them into place sloppily while Inuyasha watched having sat back on his hunches, rather than staying over her. His eyes were still full with lust, but he seemed to give himself a shake. For a moment all Kagome could think of was a conversation she had with Inuyasha…the mating season. Inuyasha was acting so amorous because of the season. That would explain why after discovering that she was an ally he made a beeline for her and basically mauled her in the middle of a field.

"Inuayasha?"

He looked on her with some mild annoyance as if he was put out by the fact he was finding her hard to resist. It was at that moment that luck moved in Kagome's favor, for once.

TT

Please review! I'm so grateful for everyone who has been sticking with this story over the years.


	18. Chapter 16 Part 2

Every Dog Has His Day

Chapter 16 Part 2

Never Going Back Again

AN: Okay another somewhat quick update. You may need to go back to chapter 14 to remember what has been happening with Sango and Miroku. Please enjoy!

_**Last Time**_

_"Inuyasha?"_

_He looked on her with some mild annoyance as if he was put out by the fact he was finding her hard to resist. It was at that moment that luck moved in Kagome's favor, for once._

A young buck strolled into the clearing and began grazing, seeming to not see the two of them down in the grass. Kagome saw him first over Inuyasha's shoulder, but soon the demon turned his head to follow her line of sight. The moment his locked eyes with the buck Kagome could tell his interest was piqued and for a moment she was a little thrown that he could be so into her one minute and then all about his stomach the next. Men!

A slight bruise to her pride aside she knew an opportunity when she saw one. This was her chance to get the sword back and try for a hand-off once more. Hesitantly, she reached up and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention. He turned towards her once again and seemed to understand her when she gestured towards the deer. He was hungry, and she was obviously hungry if the grumbling of her stomach was any indication.

"Please," Kagome added for good measure while glancing at the deer meaningfully.

That seemed to be the only encouragement Inuyasha needed, as he resituated his legs underneath himself and prepared to spring after the still unsuspecting buck. It was at this moment that Kagome saw the flaw in her plan. Inuyasha was going to be able to take down the deer within seconds and she wasn't really interested in eating raw venison. She needed him to be distracted long enough for her to retrieve the sword. She just needed that deer to take off and lead Inuyasah away for a bit. Kagome leaned forward intent on rising to her feet, hoping to startle the deer.

Unfortunately Inuyasha was keenly aware of her movement even as he was preparing to spring. His strong clawed hand came down restraining on her shoulder. He pushed her back so she was reclining back on the grass once more.

"Stay," was the simple command that the red-eyed Inuyasha growled to her. His restraining hand stayed on her arm, squeezing enough to cause discomfort until Kagome hesitantly nodded her understanding, all the while thinking sarcastically, okay dear, you get dinner I'll wait here.

He moved into position again, ready to spring upon the unsuspecting animal. Kagome looked around quickly. How could she fix this? Spying a stick she reached for it quickly, and snapped it between her hands. The sounds echoed across the field causing the young buck to pick up his head in alarm. It also caused Inyasha to turn and give her the death glare to end all death glares. Oh whoops? Was she supposed to be quiet? Silly her.

The buck spied them, and leaped off into the woods in the way things leap when they know their life is in real peril. Inuyasha glared at her harshly, pushing one last time at her shoulder to keep her down and bounded off after the beast. His message was clearly; she was to stay here and wait for his return. That was not her plan however…

The minute Inuyasha's form had disappeared Kagome was pushing herself up. She did so slowly, stiffly as her body was beginning to ache. She stared intently at the spot he had disappeared into the bush through. When she had finally unfolded her legs slowly, she still hesitated. Was he gone gone? Would he bring the kill back or was there a chance he would go off pillaging villages? Chances are he would be back. It was the season and he was male, so most likely he would be back for her. That was reassuring and troubling all at once.

There was a rumble of thunder above; great now there was definitely going to be storm, perfect. Stiffly Kagome got up. Inuyasha had held the sword briefly as he took it from her and threw it, but he did not transform back. It seemed that he needed to have it in his possession longer for it to be effective. Even as she headed to in the direction that she had seen the sword throne, she glanced pensively where Inuyasha had disappeared. He better not be getting himself into trouble.. And this was definitely going on the list of reasons she needed another binding necklace for him, right up there with needing to go home, and sometimes he just deserved to be sat.

As Kagome made her way across the clearing, she nervously glanced back. Inuyasha had clearly wanted her to stay where she was, but that was just not an option. She needed to retrieve the sword so they could go back. She stepped into the forest, and began to maneuver her way through looking fervidly for any sign of the sword. As she moved foreword she noticed that there was more light pouring through up ahead. Stepping through the thick fern plants she found out why. The forest abruptly ended at a short cliff. This was her luck. It really was.

Feeling resigned to what she was about to find, Kagome stepped to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Sure enough about 10 feet down, on a small outcrop in the cliffside lay the sword, taunting her. The drop was only about 15 feet altogether and the cliff had some slant to it as you got near the bottom, so it wasn't a straight drop, but still not Kagome's idea of a good time.

TT

Miroku stared wearily at the wily old woman who was now brandishing a staff at them with a strange opal stone at the end. There was an eerie magic vibration coming from the object and Miroku was not looking foreword to finding out what it was capable of.

"Woman, I am afraid we cannot allow you to cast that spell on some unsuspecting man. It is not right!"

Yetka merely smiled and the small toad like woman was looking far more formidable than they had initially thought.

"Oh no little man. I have waited for this for too long. " The little imp argued while holding the potion in one hand and her magical staff in the other.

"Yetka-san, please you need to understand we cannot allow you to do this." Sango implored.

Yetka looked at Sango from beneath her drooping brow and looked like she was about to speak when Miroku opened his mouth again.

"And besides aren't you a little old to be getting a man now…" he said in a low tone. The reaction was immediate and Miroku had no time to react as the tiny toad of a woman lunged at him and swung her little staff, nailing him on the foot.

Fwap!

His big toe radiated pain as Miroku jumped around holding his wounded foot like a loon.

"It's for my granddaughter you young fool!" She swung again this time narrowly missing his other foot.

"He didn't mean it, can we just discuss…" Sango tried in a more diplomatic way but was cut off as Yetka continued to rant.

"And you want to call me old? ! Well how is this for an old lady!" Yetka wailed as she held the staff out and a strange white light began to seep out of the opal stone, swirling like mist as he began to disperse out.

It grew quickly but to Sango and Miroku's horror it soon was clear that the mist was not a mist, but a small army of tiny white insects. They devoured the food that had been chopped and spread on Yetka's small table, they even moved through the wood in a matter of seconds.

Sango's eyes grew to the size of saucers. Should they fight or should they flee?

She looked over to Miroku who had one hand on the prayer beads that bound his arm. If those insects were poisonous he would be in trouble.

Making a split second decision, Sango grabbed him the sleeve and yelled out, "Run!"

TT

"Shit!" Kagome Curses as her foot slipped yet again. Seriously she would take her short and _inappropriate_ skirt any day. Her clothes were restrictive that she could barely get her knees up as she climbed down the cliff. And to make matters even better, the sky had finally begun to open up, and fine mist was coming down from the angry clouds, suggesting this was only a preview of the downpour to come. The sword was on a ledge about twelve feet from the top, and about six feet from the bottom.

This was great, and the rocks were getting slicker with the rain. The mist began to make fine shining droplets in Kagome's hair, and she shook her head trying to shake some of the moisture free, only she shouldn't have done that. The small movement caused her foot to slip, and she slid, screeching like the Banshee to the bottom. Her hands tried to grip onto anything that could slow down her descent and each and every bump jarred her already bruised body all the way to the bottom.

Landing smartly on her ass Kagome cursed under her breath. She finally stopped moving but it was not as big a relief as she would have hoped because as the adrenaline that pumped through her while actually falling was now giving way to nothing but sharp aches and dull pain. Tears pricked at her eyes against her will. She swallowed thickly and clamped down onto the urge to just let the tears fall.

As the pain in her backside throbbed away she looked up to the ledge she had been trying to reach, before her impromptu venture to the bottom. It was higher than she could stretch. She would need to climb to get to it. Just what she wanted, to get back on the cliff that just sent her sliding like it was an ice luge.

She just needed to get the sword. She took a deep breath, putting all of her resolve into reaching the sword. She didn't bother thinking about how she was going to get back up the cliff. There was only so much she could deal with right now. If she thought too much about the other obstacles she was facing she would have no choice but to break down.

The misty rain slowly turned into real droplets. Kagome looked up to the ledge she would have to climb to. It didn't look so very far, but the space in between might as well be a mile if she couldn't manage to get up the slippery rock service. Sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth, Kagome put he hands to the cliffside, seeking a crevice she could gain some purchase on.

The rain continued to pour down, soaking through her clothes making them heavy and cold against her skin. Eventually her hands found some leverage and she began the task of pulling herself up, blindly seeking footholds to get her even closer the damn sword. She felt a decent hold and pulled. The sword was now just a foot from her. One good move and she would be in grabbing distance. She reached for a new handhold. Her hand slid from several before she found one she could get a good enough hold of. Gingerly she shifted her weight up. If she could use her other arm to reach out she could…

But as soon as she shifted to reach for the sword her footholds gave way and she was skidding back to the ground. As she felt her feet hit the ground she growled n frustration. She dropped her head against the stone in front of her. Every inch of her ached and now shivers wracked her body as well. She couldn't feel sorry for herself. She couldn't cry. She couldn't worry about her pain. Inuyasha was out there and he needed her to bring him back to his senses. He needed her.

She let out a sob that had been building. And she was failing him…

Before another sob could snake it's way from her trembling throat, a strong hand whipped Kagome around. There he was, angry and smelling of fresh blood. Tears flowed freely from Kagome's eyes and she did not bother to try and stop them. No move was made to defend herself as Inuyasha gripped her roughly at the waist with one hand and the throat with another. He was angry with her for running off.

"I'm so sorry Inuyasha. I tried to get the sword. I can't. I'm too weak. "

Inuyasha growled his response. His thumb roughly rubbed at her delicate neck.

"I…" Kagome sobbed again. It was a broken hoarse sound and Inuyasha reacted to it with ears laid flat against his head.

Her sobs shook her body and her head dropped in despair. The demon looked on like many males before him, in abject confusion and bewilderment at the emotional display. He slid his hand from her neck to her jaw and brought her face back up to his own. Her soft brown eyes met his, bloodshot and watery.

He sniffed at her. Her salty tears and despair marred her formally pleasant smell.

Her face crumpled again as she saw no hint of the Inuyasha she knew in his blood red eyes. She desperately wanted to stare at his golden eyes again. What she would give…

She shut her eyes tight as more tears came over her.

Unsure of how to approach his female, Inuyasha brought the arm at her waist behind her back and attempted to bring her closer. She cried out in pain. His arm had put pressure on her badly bruised back and she could not stop the yelp that escaped her.

Inuyasha released her immediately. Both his arms fell away from her. Any predator knew the sound of a creature in pain and it did not suit him to find his female in such a condition.

Inuyasha stepped back as Kagome lightly leaned against the stone behind her. She had her head down still. A broken little creature.

This would not due. Inuyasha reached behind him for the object he had retrieved on the way down. Grabbing it by the end that was not sharp he brought it up. If this was what the female needed to stop the disturbing activity she was engaged in, then he would give it to her. Surely the object was no real threat to him anyway…

Kagome finally managed to catch her breath and looked up at Inuyasha, sucking in a breath when she realized what he was holding. Yes, yes! This was it. Inuysha was going to revert back any moment now. Everything was going to be okay!

She waited. Inuyasha continued to look at her while he held the object out toward her.

This had to work…

Kagome felt her heart sink as one minute passed. Inuyasah huffed in annoyance and gestured to the sword.

"No, Inuyasha, this has to work. This has to, because…" Her face grew hot as a new set of tears came on fresh. Inuyasha reached out her, drawing her close to him, this time more gently. Kagome went willingly. Her heart beat like a lead stone in her chest. He wasn't turning back.

Inuyasha held the sword closer to him, and tangled his other hand into her hair and forced her to lay her head on his chest. Her right cheek lay against his wet clothed chest, while she stared his right hand holding the sword like a traitor. "…I need you to come back to me Inuyasha."

Shaking from cold and exhaustion she reached out a trembling hand and laid it over his as he held the hilt. He demon jerked slightly as her ice-cold hand closed over his. Come back Inuyasha. "I love you." She whispered as buried her face in his neck to cry and shake quietly.

Inuyasah's grip on her hair only tightened and silence spanned several moments, until a hoarse voice broke the stillness.

"Kagome?"

TT

Review please! I am trying to stick to a quick updating schedule, as I want this to be complete. It's been years! lol


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